Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis.
"The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.' Both harder and easier than what we are all trying to do...It is like that here. The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ....I must be ploughed up and re-sown."
These days I think in pictures and patterns. I like this one so much, the idea of giving it all. Being plucked up from the earth, torn out, and then planted again. I can appreciate that.
Lukewarmness and nonchalance are trying me as of late. I have lost all patience with the disloyal and undedicated. But slowly and most certainly the Carpenter is tugging at my heart and teaching me grace. Perfection is not an expectation I want to impose. I need to learn rather to desire passion and boldness and bravery in people. Those qualities will overcome the others after a certain time.
I am discovering that instead of harping on that which I hate and despise, I must needs encourage and support and foster that which I admire.
As he said above, this is far harder and far easier than I think.
And that is beautiful.
