I WAS THE LION
[Aslan speaking to
Shasta] “I WAS THE LION who forced you to join with Aravis. I WAS THE CAT who
comforted you among the houses of the dead. I WAS THE LION who drove the
jackals from you while you slept. I WAS THE LION who gave the horses the new
strength of fear for the last mill so that you should reach King Lune in time.
And I WAS THE LION you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a
child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at
midnight, to receive you.”
This year my girls and I have begun reading through the
Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. He has
always been one of my favorite authors and I’ve been so excited to watch as my
kids develop a love for his work. A few
months back we finished reading “The Horse and His Boy” (one of the earlier
books in the series). I was struck by
the unique way that Lewis painted a picture of the presence of Jesus in our
lives through his infamous character Aslan. I wanted to share some of the
beautiful parallels he gave that spoke to my heart and whispered of Christ’s
love for us.
The book tells the story of an orphan boy named Shasta and
his adventures-often quite perilous- as he makes his journey to the land of
Narnia. He does not know who Aslan is until the end of the book. The quote above is when Aslan is talking to
him. I was reminded of the truth of God’s
Emmanuel presence, woven through scriptures like…
John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father
full of grace and truth.”
Matthew 28:19-20: “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age.”
Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with
man. He will dwell with them, and they
will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
I recently read a blog called, “God Where I Don’t Expect
Him” https://sarahclarkson.com/thoroughly-alive/2018/7/12/god-where-i-dont-expect-him
where the writer reflected on how her life changed as she
just had her first precious baby. As she
strived to prepare her heart for this new season, she tried to sort through
anxieties and worries and sought out one of her mentors for his wisdom. In
response to her expressed fears he said, “I wonder if what you’re really
fearing is that you will lose the presence of God…We all have a way we are used
to finding God; a certain rhythm of being, an emotional or mental state we seek
by habit that helps us to come to a place of peace or prayer, centeredness or
calm. If you, by nature, usually find
joy in the transcendent-in movement and travel, in big ideas and long times of
reading and huge swathes of silence-the prospect of a life in which those activities
are severely curbed can make you feel that you’ll lose your way to comfort, or
hope in God.”
These thoughts resonated in my soul as I pondered the
different ways in the past I have felt comfortable finding God’s presence. As a college student, I remember having long
quiet times where I could read the Bible, listen to praise music, and journal
for hours. That was amazing!
(I WAS THE LION)
When I started having kids, it was a rare occasion to be
able to carve out hours for my devotional every day; so I settled for a few
minutes where I could grab it. I began posting Bible verses around my house-in
the kitchen or on the bathroom sink mirror-places I frequented often where I
could read it ponder it as I went about my day.
(I WAS THE LION)
Then I moved to Africa and began learning another language
and learned the meaning of humility and dependence on the Lord in a whole new
way. (I
WAS THE LION)
I began to fall in love with the Dinka of South Sudan and as
our lives intersected together each day, I began to truly understand what it
would be like to worship with ALL nations before His throne one day.
(I WAS THE
LION)
We left South Sudan with bleeding, broken hearts and Jesus
began to teach me what true lamentations looked like.
(I WAS THE LION)
Then the Lord used prayer to teach me about seeking His
presence-learning to sit quietly before Him and to give space for Him to speak
to me. (I
WAS THE LION)
Last year we moved to Uganda for a new place of service and
I learned that many are a man’s plans but God’s ways are so much higher than
ours. (I
WAS THE LION)
Then God started using my time exercising to show me His
presence-running down the road as I listened to music, admiring His beautiful
creation of the rocky, rolling hills.
(I WAS THE
LION)
During one of our recent Karamajong church meetings, I
looked around at my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ with a heart
overwhelmed with wonder and love. I am
challenged every day by their faith.
(I WAS THE LION)
This month, He has begun to show me His presence while
sitting and playing UNO with my kids. Just
being fully present in the moment with them, encouraged by their youth and
innocence. (I
WAS THE LION)
As I think back, I realize how often my heart becomes
content in the comfort of the familiar patterns in my life, only to be jolted
out into a new season. But the wonderful thing is that if I truly ask myself
this question-am I willing to be stretched and challenged to see God’s presence
in new ways in new seasons then I know my expectations will not be disappointed
because God DOES NOT disappoint. He
exceeds my expectations in EVERY WHICH WAY. And you know what the biggest thing
is that I’m learning?
Wait for it….
I am learning that I am the one who is
changing-He is ALWAYS with us- UNCHANGING and CONSTANT and SURE, it is me who
is learning simply to RECOGNIZE His daily presence in my life, to be FULLY
PRESENT in the MOMENT.
Drop the mike
Let me restate this truth for you and me. The presence
of Jesus is ALWAYS with us; it is only a question if we recognize
him. Do we hurry through our
days and miss His Spirit gently leading us to us to slow down and savor
Him? Or do we rest in Him and learn to
keep our ears attuned to His voice? For
we have this promise:
“Draw near to God, and
He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
So today I am going to try and rest at the feet of my
Savior, letting go of my worries and trusting in Him to provide the grace I
need for each moment. For He IS
THE LION!
