The Truth of Myth

Truth 0

Nonetheless, myth is the closest approximation to truth available to the finite human being.  And the truth of myth is not limited by time or place.  A myth tells of that which was true, is true, and will be true.  If we will allow it, myth will integrate intellect and intuition, night and day; our warring opposites are reconciled, male and female, spirit and flesh, desire and will, pain and joy, life and death.

— Madeleine L’Engle, The Irrational Season, quoted by Carole F. Chase in Glimpses of Grace, p. 143

Wishes

Forgiveness, Marriage 0

When we forget that all we can really do is hope or wish for the results we want, we make things harder for ourselves.  When we forget that our ability to make our wishes come true is limited, we create grievances…. 

Try to remember one thing:  You risk disappointment every time you want something from your partner.  So much of forgiveness training involves accepting this simple fact of life.

— Dr. Fred Luskin, Forgive for Love, p. 180-182

Shattered Dreams

God, Letting Go, Trials 0

Our fondest dreams for this life, the ones we naturally believe are essential to our happiness, must be fully abandoned if we are to know God well.

But we cannot abandon them without help.  The help we need, most often, is suffering, the pain of seeing at least a few of our fondest dreams shattered.

— Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams, p. 52

My Ability to Hear from God

God, Guidance, Life 0

We don’t know on any given day all that’s playing into why we can’t seem to hear from God. . . .  But I do know this:  it can’t be the verdict of how I’m doing with God or how he feels about me in this moment. . . .

My ability to hear God’s voice on any given day does not change my position in Christ one bit.  I share this because the last thing I want to introduce into your faith is shame or doubt or some other attack because you’re not hearing clearly right now.  Taking the journey toward an intimacy with God that includes conversational intimacy is a beautiful thing, full of surprises and gifts from him.

But it can also send us reeling if we are basing our relationship with God on our ability to hear from him in this moment or on this particular issue. . . .

So, if you’re not yet hearing, don’t worry.  It’s okay.  Keep praying.  Keep listening.  Notice what God might be up to other than answering the immediate question.

— John Eldredge, Walking with God, p. 48-50

Let Your Light Shine.

Life, Love, Truth 0

It is not, Let your good works shine, but Let your light shine.

Let it be the genuine love of your hearts, taking form in true deeds, not the doing of good deeds to prove that your opinions are right.  If you are thus true, your very talk about the truth will be a good work, a shining of the light that is in you.  A true smile is a good work and may do much to reveal the Father who is in heaven.  But the smile that is put on for the sake of looking right, or even for the sake of being right, will hardly reveal him because it is not like him.

— George MacDonald, Your Life in Christ, p. 210

Getting It Done

Inspiration, Life, Trials 0

“It’s not about prophecies, boy.  Or magic swords, or any of that nonsense.  It’s about getting it done.  Always is.  You’re going to be king someday.  Seen a lot of kings come and go.  I know what makes them.  What breaks them.  Save your friends and kill the dragon.  Or you won’t be worth a cracked copper to Idris.  Or to yourself.  That’s what it’s really about . . . in the end.  About you.”

— The Prophecy, by Hilari Bell