In What Do You Place Your Trust?

Dumbo, a 1941 animated film produced by Walt Disney Studios tells the story of an orphaned elephant born with really big ears. Dumbo, who is befriended by a circus mouse named Timothy, initially ignores his tiny friend’s efforts to convince him to open his giant ears and fly. That is, until Dumbo, who mistrusts his own God-given abilities, receives a special gift from Timothy, a “magic feather” that will help him fly. In time, Dumbo, placing all of his trust in the “magic feather,” takes a leap of faith, flies, and becomes the star of the circus. Though Dumbo achieves fame, he still discounts his own gifts; he believes that only the “magic feather” enables him to fly. That is, until one day while flying an unexpected gust of wind pulled the feather loose from Dumbo’s trunk. Discounting his own ability to fly, the terrified elephant plummets to earth. Timothy the circus mouse, who was hitching a ride in Dumbo’s hat at the time, responds by trying to get Dumbo’s attention. “You can fly, you can fly, you can fly” yells Timothy as he does his best to convince his friend to open his ears. Luckily, in the midst of the crisis Dumbo finally discovers the strength to trust in his own abilities. When he finally opens his ears Dumbo soars to new heights. Looking back, I, and perhaps many of you, have collected lots of “magic feathers” over the years. Accolades and promises of worldly success extended by well-intentioned parents, teachers, and mentors, the ever-expanding carrots-on-a-stick designed to motivate, inspire, and push us to succeed and achieve in a cruel and heartless world. Progress made on the ladder of worldly success that the world promises will be rewarded with good grades, public acclaim, a good job, a big home, and lots of material possessions. Ultimately; however, these things are fleeting. They come and they go. In fact, many people, me included, find that they have climbed the proverbial ladder of success only to discover that their ladder was leaning on the wrong wall. Though successful by the world’s standards, far too many of us work ourselves ragged only to end up unfulfilled, unhappy, and deeply agitated. Yet we still cling to the “magic feathers” in our lives, don’t we? Notice, however, what happens when Dumbo loses his grip on his “magic feather.” Having lost that which gave him faith in an ability that he already possessed, Dumbo is stricken with fear and begins to fall. Fear can do that. Fear saps our resolve, deceives us into selling ourselves short, and blinds us to our innate sense of worth. When the inevitable storms of life come upon us, taking with them the external trappings of success and self-worth (jobs, status, and material possession) we, too, lose our grip on “magic feathers.” When all is said and done what remains is who we really are at the very core of our being and whose we are, beloved children of a God who creates, redeems, and sustains. A living God who repeatedly comes to us in the midst of life’s storms offering healing, wholeness, and restoration so that we might have life, life abundantly. Viewed from the perspective of faith, the animated film Dumbo challenges each one of us to ask: “What are the “magic feathers” in my life? In what or whom do I place my trust?” Because, like it or not, the storms of life will inevitably rip the “magic feathers” from our grasp. And, like Dumbo, we too will be called upon to open our ears and to find strength in what matters most to us.

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