Sometimes God gives tiny glimpses of who he is and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of it. I don’t often feel as if what’s been shared with me is something I can truly express, it’s like translation of a work of poetry from one language to another… it loses something, but I’m going to try nonetheless.
I’m reading Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard, it’s quite interesting and there are several pieces of her writing the given me reason to reflect. In this book Hurnard is comparing the spices from Song of Solomon to the fruits of the Spirit, Longsuffering is the mountain of Saffron.
I have noted something in my own life lately as well as the lives of those around me—how quick we are to guard ourselves against further “wrong-doing” be it by a particular individual or by all people. Within that there is also that penchant to hash and rehash events that are clearly in the past, sometimes it is very plainly because these situations or events or arguments (whatever name you choose to give them), have not been addressed and certainly have not been resolved.
I can continue, but let me just move right in to the excerpt I want to share instead, hopefully the point will be made. Grace and Glory is a person walking with the King on the mountain.
“It was impossible for them to walk anywhere without treading on these delicate hued flowers and using them as a doormat! As soon as their feet were lifted from them, however, she noticed that the dauntless, gay little things bobbed up again at once, as fresh and uncrushed as though they had not been trodden upon.
When she remarked on this to the King he explained with another of his happy smiles that this was the characteristic of true longsuffering. It bears quite happily everything that is done against it, resents not at all being trampled under foot, and reacts to the wrongdoing of others against itself as though it had forgotten all about it! For longsuffering is really the lovely quality of forgiveness and bearing contentedly and joyfully the results of the mistakes and wrongdoing of others.”
5 comments:
if only I had the grace and good sense of the tiniest flower of the field... thanks for giving me a gem to ponder!
It would be nice to live life a little more like someone who does think/say "it's all good" no matter what the circumstance. I think that's my next personal "goal," to left go of more things more easily. I'm sure I'd be happier that way.
You might want to read some Buddhist writings, they're helpful for that kind of thing (oops! I meant to say some Quaker writings. Buddhists are good for that, but most Christians would rather read Quakers than Buddhists...)
I'll keep that in mind Slacker, tho honestly while both mentioned are interesting, I've never been inclined to read much about them.
It's alright, I haven't read much of them either. I just hear they're good for that "letting go of things, resulting in happiness" experiment (and, sadly, I've read far more Buddhist lit than Quaker.) Take care, Feather; you're a valuable citizen of the Kingdom!
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