Peter Pan is one of Marti’s favorite childhood stories. She first experienced the Broadway production of Peter Pan in New York when she was eight years old. So inspired, upon returning home, she flew off the top of her brother’s bunk bed only to break her collarbone, but not her spirit, which has carried her belief in the story ever since. So when learning the original Broadway version of Peter Pan was playing in Orange County, I bought two tickets; one for Marti and the other for her eight-year-old self, Joci, her granddaughter to carry on the tradition. To celebrate, I asked Marti to share her inspiration from the story of Peter Pan for today’s Catch.

by Marti Fischer

I believe in the power of fairy tales, where simple childhood stories often carry profound spiritual wisdom. One of my favorites is Peter Pan, a timeless tale that still captivates me. Peter, an orphaned boy, lives in Neverland—a place of eternal youth and wonder. His adventures with Captain Hook and the lost boys highlight the tension between growing old and growing up.

Jesus spoke of a similar kind of eternal childhood when He called us to be like children in our relationship with God: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2). This requires setting aside self-reliance and embracing complete dependence on God, trading cynicism for wonder.

In Peter Pan, when Tinker Bell is on the brink of death, Peter calls out to the children who believe in fairies. “Do you believe?” he cries, urging them to clap their hands to save her. Many clap, some don’t, and a few even hiss—just like in life. But belief overcomes death, and Tink lives to fly again.

As Christians, we believe that faith has the power to save. Romans 3:28 reminds us, “We hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Faith in the risen Christ transforms us from death to life—faith is the victory that overcomes.

Returning to the nursery scene, Peter teaches the children that lovely thoughts and a little fairy dust can make them fly. This idea of uplifting thoughts has been especially meaningful to me recently as I’ve encountered a family in our community facing overwhelming hardship. Deborah, a mother of three, works full-time while battling chronic migraines. Her husband, a veteran, struggles with severe pain and mental health issues. Their nine-year-old daughter, Annabelle, has been suffering in silence after being violently assaulted at school. Her trauma has led to self-harm, and she urgently needs professional care, which the family cannot afford.

The Catch Ministry has established a fund to assist our Catch citizens in dire need. From this fund, we have established an account for Annabelle and designated $500 toward her care. We invite you to contribute to her account, which we believe will make a life-saving difference, and we ask for your prayers for this family.

I am clapping my hands in anticipation for those who are responding in prayer and with gifts for Annabelle. Click here and designate “for Annabelle” in the optional note.

Finding beautiful thoughts amidst such realities is challenging. Instead of escaping, I find solace in the presence of God. When I imagine myself with Him, seeing the world from His perspective, my mountains turn into molehills. These “happy thoughts” bring me back to earth, where He calls me to be with the poor in spirit and those in need. For many, life is not Neverland; it’s their Everland. By being with them, we are with God.

I pray we stop quarreling over trivial matters and instead embrace the simplicity and openness of children. Let us clap our hands, remembering that Christ has overcome death, and believe that we can always fly to where God is—in our hearts.

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”