“I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”
-Aslan, The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
This is one of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis’s book The Horse and His Boy. It’s the third book from the Chronicles of Narnia series. Although it’s a fictional story, it reminds me of God’s faithfulness. So much so, every time I read the quote I get goosebumps.
Shasta’s terrible day
The Horse and His Boy takes place several years AFTER The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and tells the story of a boy named Shasta and his horse Bree. In the chapter where I’ve taken the quote from, Shasta is frustrated, hungry and lonely. Nothing was going according to plan. It was getting dark and his only concern was to find a place to rest and get some food. Unfortunately, he wasn’t finding either. It seemed the farther he traveled, the more he seemed to be getting nowhere. Frustrated, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for himself.
Shasta began to wonder why his life was so hard. He considered himself “…the most unfortunate boy that has ever lived in the whole world. Everything goes right for everyone except me (Lewis, 1954).” It seemed he always had the worst luck. He wondered why his life was so unfair and why it couldn’t be easier.
Can you relate?
Although I don’t consider myself the most unfortunate or unluckiest person in the world, I’ve had my moments. I’ve had times when it felt like everything was going wrong, no matter how hard I tried. Worse yet, I’ve had times when I couldn’t even make headway towards my goals. Why even make goals, if all they do is taunt you?
So I can totally relate to Shasta’s frustration.
Aslan’s response
But what gets me is Aslan’s reply – which I’ve quoted at the top of this post. Shasta didn’t know the whole story. He only had one tiny piece of the puzzle but Aslan had the whole picture.
So it’s such a poignant moment when Aslan peels back the curtain of Shasta’s story and fills in all the missing pieces. Shasta realized it was Aslan who comforted him, protected him and guided him. And everything that happened to him was so that he could be where he was now.
What I’m learning
This story reminds me there’s more going on than what I can see or understand. It teaches me that circumstances I see as misfortunes, disappointments or even setbacks are actually life’s personal trainers. They build my endurance and make me grow in ways I never thought possible. And each day I show up, each day I push through the pain, I’m building muscle and burning fat.
That’s why this story is in my Encouragement Kit. It builds up my faith and reminds me God’s working ALL things for my good (Romans 8:28). And He’s with me in ALL circumstances regardless if I’m aware of it or not.