Deeper Thoughts: A Horse and His Boy (part 1)

After 3 months of trying to read/listen to this book, I've finally succeeded.  I purchased it at Goodwill for just $0.89 and have found the part that I was longing to read again.

You MUST read the book, and in fact the entire Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  But, I do think this portion is some of my favorite of the series...

And being very tired and having nothing inside him, he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks. 

What put a stop to all this was a sudden fright Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him.  It was pitch dark and he could see nothing.  And the Thing (or Person) was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls.  What he could hear was breathing.  His invisible companion seemed to breathe on a very large scale and Shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature.  And he had come to notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there.  It was a horrible shock.

Isn't this how it sometimes is?  We are walking around, lonely, feeling sorry for our miserable circumstances and suddenly (if you are lucky) you realize that you are not alone at all!  And as you realize that you are not alone, you also realize that you noticed this presence so gradually, so gently, that you can't be sure of how long it has even been there.

The Thing (unless it was a Person) went on beside him so very quietly that Shasta began to hope he had only imagined it.  But just as he was becoming quite sure of it, there suddenly came a deep, rich sigh out of the darkness beside him  That couldn't be imagination!  Anyway, he had felt the hot breath of that sigh on his chilly left hand.
...At last he could bear it no longer.
"Who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper.
"One who has waited long for you to speak," said the Thing.  Its voice was not loud, but very large and deep.

Often God is there walking alongside us.  The whole time, just waiting for us to speak.  Waiting for us to cry out.  And then, He makes Himself known in such a gentle manor.  Even though He has done great things and will do even greater, He simply, quietly, patiently walks beside us. Waiting.  ( Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!)

"Are you- are you a giant?" asked Shasta.
"You might call me a giant," said the Large Voice. "But I am not like the creatures you call giants."
"I can't see you at all," said Shasta, after staring very hard.  Then (for an even more terrible idea had come into his head_ he said, almost in a scream, "You're not- not something dead, are you"  Oh please- please do go away.  What harm have I ever done you? Oh, I am the unluckiest person in the whole world!"
Once more he felt the warm breath of the Thing on his hand and face.  "There," it said, "that is not the breath of a ghost.  Tell me your sorrows."

Once we have finally turned to God.  Once we take the time to realize that He has been there all along, it is then that we often give ourselves permission to lament.  To pour out our hearts and to see the greater good and the bigger picture of it all.

It is the possibility of something wonderful, but it is also the possibility of losing yourself.  People are afraid of the unknown, afraid of the unseen.  We stare into the dark and try to realize what "it" is.  If we can't see it, if we can't fully realize "it" then the unknown is just too scary.

But there stands an invitation before us... Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:20)   
There is such GOOD at the other side of the door!  We can't realize it now, and yes the unknown is scary.  But walking with God and talking with God, as scary as it is sometimes is so GOOD!  This brings me to another important quote from the Chronicles of Narnia.

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

If you are still interested in deeper thoughts then click here for Part 2.