I have this feeling and it’s a feeling of urgency that it’s time for us to wake up!

Seriously, whatever you have felt like you were supposed to be doing and you’ve been putting off, the time is now!

Whatever relationships you have been ignoring whether it’s love or unforgiveness –

Don’t wait! The time is now!

Often times we postpone the inevitable because we are fearful of the outcome. That big, scary unknown is far more ominous than any dragon. We play out conversations that never even happen, like demons in our head, to avoid confrontation.

I have news for you, if you’re still pursuing your happily ever after – You don’t get the crown without conquering the thorns.

I am not making light of this by any means, I know from real life experiences what we all know to be a reality;

Relationships are hard.

Relationships take planning because somehow, somewhere along the way, we are going to get hurt.

But realizing this and being prepared in advance with your response helps the wounds and the scars be less painful in the long run. (Think about how you psyche yourself up to rip a bandage off.)

Unfortunately, most people do not prepare an advance, so the pain and wounds lead to traumatic responses that cause people to lash out in vengeance or withdrawal from relationships altogether.

It would be like wanting to venture through garden of large voluptuous rose bushes and blaming the rose bushes for the pain inflicted by their thorns.

I’m warning you- relationships are thorny.

You have to go in with a plan.

I am reminded of the classic fairytale sleeping beauty. I actually read the book as a child, ( the Brother’s Grimm version, adapted by Disney – not the morbid 1300’s version).

Isn’t this the type of relationship we are longing for?

The type where I handsome prince fights the greatest obstacles to set us free? I think it’s so interesting in our world of entitlement and quick fixes that so many potential suitors tried to get through to Sleeping Beauty and failed or gave up too quickly.

Can you imagine being trapped behind a wall covered with magical thorny rose vines as far as the eye can see? No wonder few people tried it and so many failed. Maybe that’s where the saying “If it was easy everyone would be doing it” comes from.

(Not a lot of princesses being rescued by knights in shining armor in my neighborhood.)

Well there’s the key right there, not only was the prince in the right place at the right time (after all the spell had an expiration date), but he was equipped to tackle the obstacles. Where all the other suitors were torn to shreds by the thorns and some even die trying, the prince went in sword in hand and wearing protective armor.

So, what if we went into life and relationships like that? I’m not talking about building a wall and separating yourself from people, but realizing that it’s a jungle out there. And what if we know ahead of time that people are going to hurt us (intentionally or unintentionally) and realize that maybe God didn’t set us up for failure, but he prepared us in advance to know that love was hard but people are worth it?

If you are going to risk being in a relationship you have to realize that most people eventually get hurt and with some, their only backup plan may be binding the wounds up on the other side.

But what if we put on the armor of God that deflected the attacks of the thorns? We would still make it through, the thorns were always there – the only thing that changed was our protection and response.

We can’t expect relationships (like roses )to not have thorns, but we can be prepared in advance as to how we deal with them.

I know know how this Fairy Tale ends – I know someday my prince will come, because I know that he has already tackled the thorns. They were actually pressed upon his head like a crown. But yet he chose to pursue the relationship with me and with you.

Like Aurora we did nothing, we couldn’t rescue ourselves but the love of the Prince of Peace is proactive!

It’s time for us to wake up and follow His example.

It’s time to wake up and suit up and fight for those relationships!

The time is now….