By now, everyone knows Shrek, the green ogre who would like nothing better than to be left alone in his swamp. In Shrek (2001), he battled a dragon, butted heads with the evil ruler Lord Farquaad, made friends with a donkey and fell in love with the ogress of his dreams, the fair Fiona. In Shrek 2 (2004), he met the in-laws, an adventure in itself. In Shrek the Third (2007), our reluctant ogre thwarted the villainous Prince Charming and relinquished the rule of Far Far Away to the rightful heir, King Arthur. What could he do for an encore?

In Shrek Forever After, our hero, now a family man feeling trapped in domesticity, is tricked into signing a pact with the smooth-talking Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in an alternate reality, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Fiona has never met him. Can Shrek undo all of Rumpelstiltskin's mischief, restore the world and regain his friends and family?

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Rumpelstiltskin claimed that signing the magical contract would make all of Shrek's problems disappear. Instead, it made things far worse and only made him wish for the life he left behind.

Perhaps, like Shrek, you're feeling unfulfilled, longing to escape from life's drudgery. Turning your life over to God will put you on a path to rival Shrek's wildest adventures.

But unlike Rumpelstiltskin, God is not some sorcerer who promises to take all of your problems away. Christian life is not a denial of reality. If anything, putting your trust in God makes you see the world and yourself with fresh eyes. It gives you a window on the person you were created to be and enables you to be content, regardless of your circumstances.

The lessons of Shrek remain the same: the sooner he accepts himself for who he is,
the happier he will be. The same goes for us.

And that's no fairy tale.