In one of my favorite books of all time, The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis, Bree, the talking horse from Narnia, Shasta, his rider, and their company are on a mission to escape slavery and arrive safely in Narnia. Throughout their journey, they are pursued by lions. In one of these scenes, they are rushing to alert the king that an enemy army is on its way. Allow me to quote the passage:
"Quick! Quick!" shouted Aravis. "We might as well not have come at all if we don't reach Anvard in time. Gallop, Bree, gallop. Remember, you're a war horse!"
It was all Shasta could do to prevent himself from shouting out similar instructions; but he thought, "The poor chap's doing all he can already," and held his tongue. And certainly, both horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could; which is not quite the same thing. Bree had caught up with Hwin and they thundered side by side over the turf. It didn't look as if Hwin could possibly keep it up much longer.
At that moment, everyone's feelings were completely altered by a sound from behind. It was not the sound they had been expecting to hear - the noise of hoofs and jingling armor, mixed, perhaps, with Calormene battle-cries. Yet Shasta knew it at once. It was the same snarling roar he had heard that moonlit night when they first met Aravis and Hwin. Bree knew it too. His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay flat back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast - not quite as fast - as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were really going all out.The snarling roar was a lion - Aslan, the Christ-figure. And when Shasta finally meets Aslan face to face, this is what Aslan tells him:
"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 to 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 cam to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."
I love this passage - and this book - for so many reasons. But for the purposes of this post, I'm going to focus on the phrase "And now Bree discovered that he had not really been going as fast - not quite as fast - as he could." How often do I think I am at the end of my rope? How many times have I thought, "This is good enough." How many times have I just flat given up?
Too many.
But all the power to complete whatever it is I want to complete - lose weight, save money, be a better wife, be a better mom, be a better servant - it's all within my grasp. Philippians 4:13 is one of the first scripture verses I committed to memory as a child: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." I have strength. In yoga, they are always telling us that our body can do more than our brain thinks it can. And by and large, they are right. If I simply make my body lean that way, if I simply force myself into that position, I find I can do it.
This experience is spawning others. We are working on finances. I am setting small goals in the kitchen and with our grocery spending. No eating out, but eating at home, and eating healthier. I'm setting small goals at school. Spend an extra few minutes and make a positive phone call on my own instead of waiting for team time. I'm setting goals with the kids. Instead of rushing around as soon as we get home, take time to just play. There will be time for rushing around later.
I can feel a shift taking place. Productivity has been up. Stress has been down (for the most part, that is). Things are getting done. Things are changing. Things are by no means perfect. But they are getting better.
It's all about discipline. I can do so much more than my brain thinks I can.
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