Well I have finally begun the re-reading of Hannah Hurnard’s allegory into the journey that we take as we move onwards in our faith and in service to our Lord, the Great Shepherd.
The references are all pretty clearly to the word in Song of Solomon so if any of you are not familiar with this book in the Bible I would urge you to read it and keep it nearby to understand some of the imagery that HH has brought into the book.
I have not got very far yet as, like so many books, this one benefits from a second (or even a third) reading to let the words sink into my heart and allow the Spirit to do His work within me.
Here are a few quotes from the book which I scribbled down as I was reading:
are you willing to be changed completely and to be made like the new name which you will receive if you become a citizen in the Kingdom of Love
Wow! Did I ever really stop to contemplate that reality when I set out on this journey to follow my Lord? Or did I just rush out of the door – a bit like Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit, and then wonder why I had not stopped to collect some things and prepare? And if I had not rushed out of the door, would I even have set off at all?
has love been planted in your heart?
The Great Shepherd asks Much Afraid a probing question – He already knows the answer, but asks us all and then offers to provide the missing seed. I recall that I found myself wondering what was missing in my life and discovered it was this seed that was needed and since that fateful day when I surrendered my heart to Jesus I have been on a long journey of self discovery and God discovery. A journey that continues even now after so many years on that path with (and at times without) Him.
I am afraid, I have been told that if you really love someone you give that loved one the power to hurt and pain you in a way nothing else can
Little Much Afraid puts into words a truth that echoes in my heart and I am sure will for many of you too. How often is it that those we love most are the ones who hurt us most profoundly. And worse (at least for me) is the truth that it is those whom I have loved and do love the most that I have hurt the worst. Sigh!
But the Great Shepherd responds
I have already warned you that Love and Pain go together, for a time at least. If you would know Love, you must know Pain too
Again very true and poignant in my own life and I know many readers here will be echoing my thoughts that if only we had known this truth at the start it might have made the journey easier to bear. For me the words that offer hope are – for a time at least – for me these speak of the transient nature of the pain and the truth that it will all be worth it in the end!
Well like Much Afraid I have made a start on this part of the journey, and I look at the events around my life right now that have brought me here again and wonder whether this pain will end when I finally make my way up into those high places?
I know I trust the great Shepherd and his guidance and I know I need a few more lessons in ‘following’ Him closely and not getting ahead of His purposes for me and those I love. So this tale is the perfect vehicle to slow down and practice following again.
thegardensofhealing 