Snow White: the delicate flower of a woman with porcelain skin, ruby red lips, and a voice that enchants forest animals near and far. She’s the “fairest of them all” and thereby the prime nemesis to the wicked and infinitely vain Queen. In addition to this she’s the headmistress of the world’s first (and perhaps only) home for dwarfs. A dwarfanage, if you will. But apart from absolute beauty, maternal instincts, and the advantage of animators to maintain her girlish figure –what’s she got that we ain’t got?
In a phrase –pucker power! (“You do know how to whistle, don’t you?”) Funny thing about whistling; it’s impossible to frown and whistle at the same time. Go ahead. Try it. Poise yourself in front of the mirror, draw the corners of your mouth down despairingly and just try to pipe out a tune. Can’t be done.
So, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to say that all this “whistle while you work” stuff may have reflected a greater attribute than merely luscious lips. Our pasty white princess has a happy heart. It’s a good thing otherwise Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, and well, you know the rest, would never have stood a chance. And without a happy heart, neither do your husband or children. But don’t take my word for it.
Proverbs 21:19 says,
“It is better to live alone in the desert than with a crabby, complaining wife.” (NLT)
And again in Proverbs 27:15
“A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day.” (NLT)
If anyone had a reason for being a bitter old nag, it’s our girl, Snowy. Her life was far from perfect. Here she is fluttering about with her chirping little bird friends when some woodsman drags her to the middle of nowhere in order to kill her. Sure, he spares her life but she has to leave friends, family, and homeland only to find herself shacked up with seven half-sized bachelors, most of whom appear old enough to be her father. She had plenty to gripe about even before she took a bite of that poisoned apple.
Just suppose that Prince Charming came riding up on his noble steed only to get an earful from Snow White’s vertically challenged roommates about how dreadfully irritable, demanding, and impossible to satisfy she was; and how peaceful their lives had been since they stuck her in that glass coffin. Do you think for one moment he would have given her a life restoring kiss? I think it’s safe to say he’d have galloped right on by in search of some other fair maiden. Perhaps a damsel locked away in a tower accessible only by her own glorious hair. But that’s another story.
Maybe, if the Scripture had been written in fairytale language these Proverbs would have come to mind:
“Better for a Prince to live in his own dungeon than in a beautiful castle with a hateful Princess.”
Or…“A nagging Princess is as annoying as the constant fire-breathing of a treacherous dragon.”
What about you? Are you glad of heart; warbling about in sweet melodies? Or have the sour grapes of feeling overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated sucked your cheeks in tighter than a kissy-fish face? Are circumstances stealing your joy or is the joy of the Lord your strength?
We can honestly admit that we all have our moody moments; but for the sake of our families and the testimony of our Savior, let’s lay aside malice, anger, and bitterness (Eph. 4:31) -those sour grapes we’ve been sucking on for too long; and taste the sweet fruit of kindness, tender-heartedness, and forgiveness (Eph. 4:32).
Come on ladies, put some gloss on those fabulous lips, smack ‘em together like you mean it, and get to whistling. It’s possible that even the “Grumpy-est” dwarf in your life will soften under the refrain of your happy heart song.
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