My family is officially obsessed with Disney’s Encanto. We’re not the only ones. The catchy tune We Don’t Talk About Bruno is the most prominent musical hit Disney has seen since 1995! It’s so much fun. If you’ve not watched it, it comes with my highest recommendation. This week, we watched Encanto twice in 48 hours. Sure it’s catchy, but why do we like it so much?
I can’t speak (or write) for anyone but me. For me, this story hits on some of my biggest struggles and my core values. I received a Marco Polo message from my sister telling me that when she heard Luisa sing Surface Pressure, she was sure it was me. Each person in the family (except Mirabel, which is a major plot point) has a special gift that they have received in their magic house, “Casita.” The town has grown to depend on them to help. Luisa has super strength and helps with all of the heavy lifting. But in her song, she states:
Pressure like a grip, grip, grip and it won’t let go, whoa
Pressure like a tick, tick, tick ’til it’s ready to blow, whoa
Give it to your sister, your sister’s stronger
See if she can hang on a little longer
Who am I if I can’t carry it all?
If I falter
Doing the heavy lifting and being helpful feel like her whole identity. And what if she doesn’t have them?
I know this feeling all too well. If I can’t carry it, am I valuable? If I’m not able to make things happen, push through; what am I worth?
Often I trust my work to be my identity and the place where my value is. I think a lot of us do that. Even if it’s not with professional work, maybe it’s with household work, child-rearing work, or success (whatever that means).
But that’s not where my worth comes from. And it’s not all that gives my life meaning. We are more than our function in this world. I hope you can receive that today. YOU ARE VALUABLE AND LOVABLE NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DO BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE. Even if it seems unbelievable, I know in my heart of hearts it’s true.
You are loved. I am loved. We are loved.
In Community,
Sam Blewis
Pastor to the Neighborhood