I started reading the Chronicles of Narnia again (one of my top three favorite book series ever), and came across this wonderful tidbit of wisdom from the Lion Himself. Here's the background: the not very nice Uncle Andrew has been in Narnia totally freaked out by the animals who are trying to help him. He refuses to believe they are helping, and eventually Aslan comes over and takes pity on him and puts him to sleep, saying, "Sleep, Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself."
This passage struck me this afternoon as I read it, b/c I do that all the time. You know what I mean? We all have those times when we are so overwhelmed and worried, then we go to bed finally, and in the morning it is never quite as bad as it was before we slept. We had cleverly devised our fears and given them life when we were feeling sad or just plain scared of how amazing and wonderful we can be. We have such vast potential it can be paralysing to try to comprehend it all. And so we destroy ourselves before we get started. Satan loves this! But Heavenly Father and Jesus created this wonderful respite for our troubled hearts and minds. We are able to rest these mortal bodies and at the same time take a much needed repose from our self-imposed torments. Please understand that I do not mean that we bring trials and tribulations on ourselves, what I mean is that we create false ones and distract ourselves from real living and growing.
I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father planned so many small means for us to grow and have peace in this life, so that we are able to finally reside eternally with Him. I suppose this is a small part of what He means when He says "I will not leave you comfortless." (John 14:18)
This makes me smile, which is saying alot, b/c I am having the worst period of my life (literally) right now.
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