by jphilo | Jan 28, 2008 | Walking Down the Gravel Road
Yesterday, we had a heat wave. After weeks of bone chilling cold, the temperature soared to the mid-forties. For the first time since the end of November, I took my morning walk outside, along our gravel road. This morning it was still warm, so I walked outside again. And maybe because I recently took a picture of the picnic table and its tractor seats mounded with snow, I noticed the change.
In one day, the snow melted from the seats. One day. That’s all it took after weeks of winter. It made me think of a scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. After months of “always winter and never Christmas” Christmas finally comes, winter fades and spring arrives in Narnia. All in one short day.
One day can make a difference. It doesn’t always seem that way. We live our lives wearied by the sameness of our days, tired of waiting for something momentous to happen. We’re so busy looking for big changes we become blind to the little ones.
I didn’t see the snowflakes melting, only that the drift was gone. I wonder what else I missed, waiting for the big things.
by jphilo | Dec 11, 2007 | Family
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the children ask Mr. and Mrs. Beaver a question about Aslan the lion who, the prophesies say, will save Narnia. “No,” the Beavers reply, “He’s not safe, but he’s good.”
Those words reassured me as the weekend unfolded. Our son Allen, the monk, faced a crossroads in his life. He wouldn’t appreciate me going into the details, but he discovered how deeply he is loved and made a difficult decision that was very, very good. For the next few years, his life at the monastery won’t be easy, but could result in great good. Our family and friends affirmed their love for all of us and enveloped us in prayer that brought peace, calm and wisdom to sore hearts. And as the weekend unfolded, for brief seconds and always at the crucial moment, the veil lifted and we glimpsed the Lion of Judah at work in a way that encouraged us and left us breathless.
It wasn’t a safe weekend, but it was very, very good, an Aslan kind of weekend. And as Narnians know, good things happen when Aslan’s on the move.
