Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Abba
My favorite name for God is Abba, which is Hebrew for father. I love the imagery of that name. As the Father, God fills every role of our earthly fathers and then some. As His child taking baby steps and learning to walk in His ways, we sometimes stumble and fall. We sit and cry until our Daddy picks us up, brushes off our little bums, wipes the tears away, takes our hand and helps us walk again. And when we disobey, he disciplines us. When we don't get our way and we stand there screaming at Him and stomping our little feet, much in the way petulant two year olds are prone to do, He patiently waits until we get it out of our systems and again, lovingly disciplines us, though yes, that discipline sometimes hurts. I love the idea that we can crawl up into God's lap and excitedly tell Him all about our day or pour out our hearts and hurts and bury our faces in His shoulder and cry it all out. He fixes what's broken and takes care of the boo boos. He picks us up and carries us when we're to tired to keep going. He puts us up on His shoulders to help us see things from His perspective. He teaches and models. He provides and protects. He puts Himself between His children and those who would seek to harm them (aka Satan). He brings s into a family where we are loved and served and where we, in turn, love and serve. He gives us an identity. He desires our ultimate good and delights in blessing us. There is so so so much more than these things, but how blessed are we to have an eternal Heavenly Father who loves us as children unconditionally?
The Bridge, The Redemption
Today I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Antietam Battlefield in Maryland and spend a number of hours sitting next to and standing on Burnside's Bridge. This place stirs in my soul and brings me a sense of peace unlike any other place I've been. When I'm overwhelmed, this is where I yearn to go. It doesn't make sense to many people but I think I was able to write down a way to explain it a little. So here is a little of what I journaled today.
(taken Jan 2011)
Why do I love this place? Why is it that the site of the bloodiest exchange in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War is the place where I find the most peace? Leslie even said to me, "Don't think for a second that it escaped my notice that your 'peaceful place' is smack dab in the middle of a war zone." I laughed but she had a point. I'd thought of that myself before. It hadn't escaped my notice either. So why does this place stir so strongly in my soul? Why do I feel such an overwhelming sense of God's presence and peace?
It's redeemed.
Well, it is inasmuch as a place can be redeemed. Men fought here and died here. Bodies littered the field, the hill and the bridge. The river and its banks were stained red with the blood of these men, these soldiers. Its history is horrific.
Yet I sit here, leaning against the very sycamore tree that stood here all those years ago. I am enjoying the cool shelter and shade it provides. The birds are singing so many different beautiful songs in the trees all around me. Swallows swoop in and out of their nests under the bridge. A fawn plays in the field next to me. The river rolls lazily by, no more concerned by the girl sitting quietly on its bank than by the three tour buses of military college students that descend all at once and leave as suddenly. Occasionally a fish plops in the water or a bird splashes on its surface. Still it continues; gently, quietly, steadily around the pilings and on downstream. There is the moist, earthy smell of the cool, muddy bank on which I sit blended with the scents of grasses, weeds, and stone. The bridge itself, though many years have passed, stands still. It has witnessed the passing of time, the years have left their marks, added the color of moss and worn the stone, but still it stands. As it is summer, the plants are lush, full, and green. Insects buzz and chirp. Birds soar and sing.
So while, yes, this is a place of death, it is also a place of life. God in His infinite grace allows creation to continue though man fought and died here. The world He has created continues to grow, flourish, and live much in the same way it always has, though there are scars and wounds there. And we, as humans, obsessed with identity, have given this place the definition, "battlefield: bloody, violent, broken, horrible." History has value, it absolutely does. I find great joy and treasure in learning our story as humans. But to me, the past it just part of it. The true legacy of this place is the life it has born witness to through the death and the future ahead.
Perhaps part of my love for this place is that I identify with it; that I can see in its waters my own reflection, a reflection of my soul. My heart and my soul have a history which is still being written to an extent. I am a battlefield as Satan and my flesh battle against the Lord and my redeemed soul. Like this bridge, I am a place of death and blood as I am redeemed by the death and blood of Christ and daily witness to the death of myself, the death of my selfish fleshly desires, and the death of my will to leave a place for God's. Yes, there is death, but there is life in me also. Again, God in His infinite grace daily preserves my life, as I have been reminded of quite a few times in the last week or so. He brings growth and regeneration to my heart and soul. With time, He brings spiritual maturity and wisdom. And I bear witness to it all and hopefully those who know me bear witness to God's glory and work in my life as well. And who knows? Perhaps God occasionally uses me as the channel to bring someone His perfect peace just as this bridge, though mortar and stone, not flesh and blood, has done for me.
There is such great peace in redemption. God placed it on my heart to read the book of Ruth today. I've read it before, I know the story, but every time I read it, it provides new insights in to the glory of God. Redemption is a theme that runs strongly throughout the entire book. It is in the context of a kinsman redeemer. In a time when widowed women had little to no way of providing for themselves and in a time when the producing of sons was crucial to the survival of the people, the family, and the women specifically (as it was the sons who provided for their widowed mothers), those widows were protected and provided for through the custom of kinsmen redeemers. The kinsman redeemer was a relative of the deceased husband, usually an unmarried brother, who would "redeem" or purchase the right to be married to the widow and provide for her as well as produce sons with her to take the name of her dead husband, preserving their line and name. Ruth's redemption came from Boaz and through their union the father of the line of David and ultimately Jesus was born. Jesus, the one who ultimately provided the redemption of the entirety of God's people. Jesus, THE Redeemer.
One verse that really struck me was the second half of Ruth 2:12. The whole verse says,
"The Lord repay your for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!"
What an image! God the Redeemer who protects, provides and is the source of refuge. And how cool that this is the passage I was led to as I sat here contemplating my redemption and the redemption of this place of peace for me?
"He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."
Why do I love this place? Why is it that the site of the bloodiest exchange in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War is the place where I find the most peace? Leslie even said to me, "Don't think for a second that it escaped my notice that your 'peaceful place' is smack dab in the middle of a war zone." I laughed but she had a point. I'd thought of that myself before. It hadn't escaped my notice either. So why does this place stir so strongly in my soul? Why do I feel such an overwhelming sense of God's presence and peace?
It's redeemed.
Well, it is inasmuch as a place can be redeemed. Men fought here and died here. Bodies littered the field, the hill and the bridge. The river and its banks were stained red with the blood of these men, these soldiers. Its history is horrific.
Yet I sit here, leaning against the very sycamore tree that stood here all those years ago. I am enjoying the cool shelter and shade it provides. The birds are singing so many different beautiful songs in the trees all around me. Swallows swoop in and out of their nests under the bridge. A fawn plays in the field next to me. The river rolls lazily by, no more concerned by the girl sitting quietly on its bank than by the three tour buses of military college students that descend all at once and leave as suddenly. Occasionally a fish plops in the water or a bird splashes on its surface. Still it continues; gently, quietly, steadily around the pilings and on downstream. There is the moist, earthy smell of the cool, muddy bank on which I sit blended with the scents of grasses, weeds, and stone. The bridge itself, though many years have passed, stands still. It has witnessed the passing of time, the years have left their marks, added the color of moss and worn the stone, but still it stands. As it is summer, the plants are lush, full, and green. Insects buzz and chirp. Birds soar and sing.
So while, yes, this is a place of death, it is also a place of life. God in His infinite grace allows creation to continue though man fought and died here. The world He has created continues to grow, flourish, and live much in the same way it always has, though there are scars and wounds there. And we, as humans, obsessed with identity, have given this place the definition, "battlefield: bloody, violent, broken, horrible." History has value, it absolutely does. I find great joy and treasure in learning our story as humans. But to me, the past it just part of it. The true legacy of this place is the life it has born witness to through the death and the future ahead.
Perhaps part of my love for this place is that I identify with it; that I can see in its waters my own reflection, a reflection of my soul. My heart and my soul have a history which is still being written to an extent. I am a battlefield as Satan and my flesh battle against the Lord and my redeemed soul. Like this bridge, I am a place of death and blood as I am redeemed by the death and blood of Christ and daily witness to the death of myself, the death of my selfish fleshly desires, and the death of my will to leave a place for God's. Yes, there is death, but there is life in me also. Again, God in His infinite grace daily preserves my life, as I have been reminded of quite a few times in the last week or so. He brings growth and regeneration to my heart and soul. With time, He brings spiritual maturity and wisdom. And I bear witness to it all and hopefully those who know me bear witness to God's glory and work in my life as well. And who knows? Perhaps God occasionally uses me as the channel to bring someone His perfect peace just as this bridge, though mortar and stone, not flesh and blood, has done for me.
There is such great peace in redemption. God placed it on my heart to read the book of Ruth today. I've read it before, I know the story, but every time I read it, it provides new insights in to the glory of God. Redemption is a theme that runs strongly throughout the entire book. It is in the context of a kinsman redeemer. In a time when widowed women had little to no way of providing for themselves and in a time when the producing of sons was crucial to the survival of the people, the family, and the women specifically (as it was the sons who provided for their widowed mothers), those widows were protected and provided for through the custom of kinsmen redeemers. The kinsman redeemer was a relative of the deceased husband, usually an unmarried brother, who would "redeem" or purchase the right to be married to the widow and provide for her as well as produce sons with her to take the name of her dead husband, preserving their line and name. Ruth's redemption came from Boaz and through their union the father of the line of David and ultimately Jesus was born. Jesus, the one who ultimately provided the redemption of the entirety of God's people. Jesus, THE Redeemer.
One verse that really struck me was the second half of Ruth 2:12. The whole verse says,
"The Lord repay your for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!"
What an image! God the Redeemer who protects, provides and is the source of refuge. And how cool that this is the passage I was led to as I sat here contemplating my redemption and the redemption of this place of peace for me?
"He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."
^ the view from my seat under the tree
^ Looking up through the leaves
^ Walking across the bridge
^ my little spot (taken by Leslie Combs)
(taken by Leslie Combs)
(taken by Leslie Combs)
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Raise the Standard
This blog post is a carry over from my other blog, To Belize with Love. I felt it was pertinent and could be put here as well. Happy reading:
Sometimes, if you listen very closely, you can hear Satan rallying his demonic troops and yelling, "CHARGE!!!!" It's a scary thing. And boy have I heard it.
We had a little parlay a while back, the Devil and I. Well not really, but I feel like we did. The conversation went as follows:
Satan: (in evil hiss voice) Sooo. You think you can battle me, huh? You really think you can make a difference? You really think you can somehow further God's Kingdom in Belize?"
Me: (after long, steely glare) Yep.
Satan: And you're certain about this? You're decided? You're going.
Me: Yup.
Satan: Fine. You're determined to go? Well I'm determined to stop you.
Me: *scoff* Right. Bring it.
God: Leave her alone, Satan. That's my beloved, faithful baby girl.
Satan: (to God) Fine (to me) This isn't over.
Well, he was right about two things. He was (and is) determined to stop me and it wasn't over.
This week my heart and mind were ground zero for one of the nastiest demonic incursions I have ever experienced, bar none. No joke. The result was one of the most difficult weeks I've lived through which included meltdowns, near meltdowns, the inability to regulate my emotions, fear, anger, insecurity, isolation, and complete and utter exhaustion on all levels of my being.
In John 8 Satan is called the "father of all lies." This I believe now more than ever. I know this because of one of his other names: "the accuser."
Here's the thing about Satan. He doesn't always come at you head on. He's sneaky. He does his homework. He gets to know those he wishes to attack and uses that knowledge against them. Judging by his activities this week, he REALLY did his homework on me. Then he watched and waited until I was emotionally spent and attacked. You see, he knew a few things about me that helped with timing. 1) I'm an introvert and I had spent the week working and preparing for my friends' wedding and then all weekend doing wedding activities.While it was a joy to be a part of that, it meant I was around people constantly, had no time to myself, and spent a great deal of time in emotionally high situations. 2) I'm a protector. I am intensely protective and empathetic towards those I love. Their burdens are mine. Often in my eyes, it is my job to protect and prevent further hurt and ease that which they are already experiencing. When they hurt, I hurt. Over the past few weeks at least 3 people who are incredibly dear to me have gone through some hard times and have been in a lot of pain. So, you see, he sensed the time was right and he attacked.
Satan: "You can't do this.You think you're all grown up but you'll never make it on your own. You know nothing about teaching high-schoolers. You are useless on your own. You will fall apart within a matter of weeks. You'll fail. What makes you think you can do this? You couldn't get a job as a teacher here, what makes you think you'll be successful there? You will fail completely."
And then he really hit a sore spot: "What are you going to do now? You can't talk about this. You can't share this with anyone. Then they'll know. They'll know you're weak. They'll know you're a failure."
See he knew to say that because he knows something else about me. I HATE to be thought of as weak. It's a serious pride issue for me. I never really understood why until my dear sister, Leslie, pointed something out to me. I AM a protector. I don't like being perceived as weak because in my mind if someone thinks I am weak, if I let them see my pain, if I let myself be truly vulnerable with them they will see me as unable to care for them well. They will not allow me to be there for them and be strong for them when they need someone to love them and care for them. THEN I would truly be a failure: a protector with no one to protect. Now I would like to say that I truly understand that ultimately it is God who protects and not me, but caring for people in that way is how I was wired and one of the ways I express love. But the idea that I will be rejected for my weakness and lose those I care about? Lies from the pit, my friends. Lies from the pit.
BUT, in the fragile state I was in, that missile hit its target.
Then he went on to attack me further: "You see, you are worthless. You have nothing to offer. You aren't worth pursuing. You'll always be alone."
These attacks coming over and over left me raw, but through all of this God showed me His love, His grace, His mercy and His truth in a number of ways.
1) I know I've said it before, but y'all, I have some incredible friends. I have NO idea how I would manage without them. Monday night I had a meltdown the likes of which the world hasn't seen since Chernobyl. A dear brother was, by the grace of God, there to walk through it with me. This guy, God has gifted with an ability to care for people in pain. He knows how to help you get it out too. He poked and prodded and pushed until it all came pouring out. He helped me process it. He spoke God's truth to me and helped me in identifying Satan's handiwork. Then Wednesday I came close to another meltdown with Leslie. Leslie is incredibly perceptive and articulate. I frequently walk away from our conversations with a better understanding of myself and of my God. We spent a good hour mulling over lies and their effect on us. How it is that as humans we find the lies so much easier to believe than the truth. Sometimes the lies seem safer. Sometimes they make more sense. But they isolate. They imprison. They slowly kill our souls and spirits. These are just two examples. I have many friends who have encouraged me and blessed me beyond what is within my ability to express.
2) I believe now, more than ever, that this is God's calling on my life right now. I have NEVER been attacked like I was last week. If this weren't what I was supposed to be doing, Satan wouldn't be attacking. Why would he bother to strike if I weren't a threat? If I weren't a danger to his plan? But that's the thing, I AM a threat. I AM a danger. I am going to Belize to serve God, to teach His children, and to train them to be His soldiers too in this spiritual battle we are waging. So you see, Satan, you may have thought this would stop me but in reality it confirmed my calling. It made me that much more sure that this was what God drove me to.
3) After a looooong conversation with another wonderful sister, I realized something. I have lost focus. I let Satan and his lies distract me from my purpose. I let him mess with me and my insecurities. I believed him. I let it draw me away from God's purpose for me. That can't happen. Acknowledging this has made me realize that I need to be far more vigilant and need to be pursuing God's will and praying for His protection more than ever.
4) This drove me to seek help. It drove me to acknowledge and own up to my weaknesses and insecurities. It forced me to surrender them to God. Today in church I was, once again struck by the words to a song which has been almost an anthem to me in recent months, "Mighty to Save." One of the verses says the following:
"So take me as you find me,
All my fears and failures.
Come fill my heart again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in.
Now I surrender."
As I have been struggling through all of this, in addition to the people He provided, God provided two things which I have clung to and received great encouragement from. One was this:
I think this resonates with me because of that whole pride issue I mentioned earlier. There is something incredibly freeing in confessing at the top of my lungs that I am not strong enough and embracing the truth that I don't have to be because God is!
The other is a verse God brought me to. Isaiah 59:19 says:
"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will raise up a standard against him."
As a history major, this particular verse struck me (yes, I'm aware I'm a little bit of a nerd). Why? The reference to the standard. A standard was the flag or banner which was carried ahead of an army in battle. It was raised up to do a couple things. First, it showed identity. Second, it was a rallying point for the army. Why is this significant? Well, Deuteronomy 20 says, "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." So in this case, God raising the standard means that 1) we are given identity and 2) we have a rally point. As believers, our identity is that of beloved children, redeemed and set apart. Not only are we given identity but it makes sure that the enemy knows that identity. He's making sure Satan knows EXACTLY who he's messing with. That standard says "This is My army: the army of the Lord. These are My warriors and My children. You think you're fighting hard? I'll be fighting harder.
I will lead these precious ones into battle and I will fight for them. And you? You. Will. Lose." And as we are His children and warriors and have given our lives to Him and in this great spiritual battle, He is our rallying point. How wonderful is this?
Alright Lord, equip me please. And raise that standard.
Sometimes, if you listen very closely, you can hear Satan rallying his demonic troops and yelling, "CHARGE!!!!" It's a scary thing. And boy have I heard it.
We had a little parlay a while back, the Devil and I. Well not really, but I feel like we did. The conversation went as follows:
Satan: (in evil hiss voice) Sooo. You think you can battle me, huh? You really think you can make a difference? You really think you can somehow further God's Kingdom in Belize?"
Me: (after long, steely glare) Yep.
Satan: And you're certain about this? You're decided? You're going.
Me: Yup.
Satan: Fine. You're determined to go? Well I'm determined to stop you.
Me: *scoff* Right. Bring it.
God: Leave her alone, Satan. That's my beloved, faithful baby girl.
Satan: (to God) Fine (to me) This isn't over.
Well, he was right about two things. He was (and is) determined to stop me and it wasn't over.
This week my heart and mind were ground zero for one of the nastiest demonic incursions I have ever experienced, bar none. No joke. The result was one of the most difficult weeks I've lived through which included meltdowns, near meltdowns, the inability to regulate my emotions, fear, anger, insecurity, isolation, and complete and utter exhaustion on all levels of my being.
In John 8 Satan is called the "father of all lies." This I believe now more than ever. I know this because of one of his other names: "the accuser."
Here's the thing about Satan. He doesn't always come at you head on. He's sneaky. He does his homework. He gets to know those he wishes to attack and uses that knowledge against them. Judging by his activities this week, he REALLY did his homework on me. Then he watched and waited until I was emotionally spent and attacked. You see, he knew a few things about me that helped with timing. 1) I'm an introvert and I had spent the week working and preparing for my friends' wedding and then all weekend doing wedding activities.While it was a joy to be a part of that, it meant I was around people constantly, had no time to myself, and spent a great deal of time in emotionally high situations. 2) I'm a protector. I am intensely protective and empathetic towards those I love. Their burdens are mine. Often in my eyes, it is my job to protect and prevent further hurt and ease that which they are already experiencing. When they hurt, I hurt. Over the past few weeks at least 3 people who are incredibly dear to me have gone through some hard times and have been in a lot of pain. So, you see, he sensed the time was right and he attacked.
Satan: "You can't do this.You think you're all grown up but you'll never make it on your own. You know nothing about teaching high-schoolers. You are useless on your own. You will fall apart within a matter of weeks. You'll fail. What makes you think you can do this? You couldn't get a job as a teacher here, what makes you think you'll be successful there? You will fail completely."
And then he really hit a sore spot: "What are you going to do now? You can't talk about this. You can't share this with anyone. Then they'll know. They'll know you're weak. They'll know you're a failure."
See he knew to say that because he knows something else about me. I HATE to be thought of as weak. It's a serious pride issue for me. I never really understood why until my dear sister, Leslie, pointed something out to me. I AM a protector. I don't like being perceived as weak because in my mind if someone thinks I am weak, if I let them see my pain, if I let myself be truly vulnerable with them they will see me as unable to care for them well. They will not allow me to be there for them and be strong for them when they need someone to love them and care for them. THEN I would truly be a failure: a protector with no one to protect. Now I would like to say that I truly understand that ultimately it is God who protects and not me, but caring for people in that way is how I was wired and one of the ways I express love. But the idea that I will be rejected for my weakness and lose those I care about? Lies from the pit, my friends. Lies from the pit.
BUT, in the fragile state I was in, that missile hit its target.
Then he went on to attack me further: "You see, you are worthless. You have nothing to offer. You aren't worth pursuing. You'll always be alone."
These attacks coming over and over left me raw, but through all of this God showed me His love, His grace, His mercy and His truth in a number of ways.
1) I know I've said it before, but y'all, I have some incredible friends. I have NO idea how I would manage without them. Monday night I had a meltdown the likes of which the world hasn't seen since Chernobyl. A dear brother was, by the grace of God, there to walk through it with me. This guy, God has gifted with an ability to care for people in pain. He knows how to help you get it out too. He poked and prodded and pushed until it all came pouring out. He helped me process it. He spoke God's truth to me and helped me in identifying Satan's handiwork. Then Wednesday I came close to another meltdown with Leslie. Leslie is incredibly perceptive and articulate. I frequently walk away from our conversations with a better understanding of myself and of my God. We spent a good hour mulling over lies and their effect on us. How it is that as humans we find the lies so much easier to believe than the truth. Sometimes the lies seem safer. Sometimes they make more sense. But they isolate. They imprison. They slowly kill our souls and spirits. These are just two examples. I have many friends who have encouraged me and blessed me beyond what is within my ability to express.
2) I believe now, more than ever, that this is God's calling on my life right now. I have NEVER been attacked like I was last week. If this weren't what I was supposed to be doing, Satan wouldn't be attacking. Why would he bother to strike if I weren't a threat? If I weren't a danger to his plan? But that's the thing, I AM a threat. I AM a danger. I am going to Belize to serve God, to teach His children, and to train them to be His soldiers too in this spiritual battle we are waging. So you see, Satan, you may have thought this would stop me but in reality it confirmed my calling. It made me that much more sure that this was what God drove me to.
3) After a looooong conversation with another wonderful sister, I realized something. I have lost focus. I let Satan and his lies distract me from my purpose. I let him mess with me and my insecurities. I believed him. I let it draw me away from God's purpose for me. That can't happen. Acknowledging this has made me realize that I need to be far more vigilant and need to be pursuing God's will and praying for His protection more than ever.
4) This drove me to seek help. It drove me to acknowledge and own up to my weaknesses and insecurities. It forced me to surrender them to God. Today in church I was, once again struck by the words to a song which has been almost an anthem to me in recent months, "Mighty to Save." One of the verses says the following:
"So take me as you find me,
All my fears and failures.
Come fill my heart again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in.
Now I surrender."
As I have been struggling through all of this, in addition to the people He provided, God provided two things which I have clung to and received great encouragement from. One was this:
I think this resonates with me because of that whole pride issue I mentioned earlier. There is something incredibly freeing in confessing at the top of my lungs that I am not strong enough and embracing the truth that I don't have to be because God is!
The other is a verse God brought me to. Isaiah 59:19 says:
"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will raise up a standard against him."
As a history major, this particular verse struck me (yes, I'm aware I'm a little bit of a nerd). Why? The reference to the standard. A standard was the flag or banner which was carried ahead of an army in battle. It was raised up to do a couple things. First, it showed identity. Second, it was a rallying point for the army. Why is this significant? Well, Deuteronomy 20 says, "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." So in this case, God raising the standard means that 1) we are given identity and 2) we have a rally point. As believers, our identity is that of beloved children, redeemed and set apart. Not only are we given identity but it makes sure that the enemy knows that identity. He's making sure Satan knows EXACTLY who he's messing with. That standard says "This is My army: the army of the Lord. These are My warriors and My children. You think you're fighting hard? I'll be fighting harder.
I will lead these precious ones into battle and I will fight for them. And you? You. Will. Lose." And as we are His children and warriors and have given our lives to Him and in this great spiritual battle, He is our rallying point. How wonderful is this?
Alright Lord, equip me please. And raise that standard.
The Palatial Project
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting in an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
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