The Horse and His Boy

I got in a mood the other day and just felt like picking up The Horse and His Boy and before I knew it I was hooked and didn't put it down until I'd finished it. I've always said Prince Caspian is my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia series but reading The Horse and His Boy I almost feel like this is my new favorite. I think the truth is, they're all my favorite. ;)

I hadn't read it in awhile so I'd forgotten just exactly how everything turned out, but everything turns out exactly as I should have wished it. It's amazing. :)

One of the things I love best in this book is Aslan. He's amazing in all of the books, but in this one it truly got to me just how gentle yet fierce he can be. Here's just a small excerpt, a conversation between Shasta and Aslan, that really touched me:

"Who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper.

"One who has waited long for you to speak....tell me your sorrows."

Shasta told him how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and about all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of the desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since he had had anything to eat.

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" Said Shasta.

"There was only one lion." said the voice.

"What on earth do you mean? I've just told you there were at least two the first night, and--"

"There was only one: but he was swift of foot."

"How do you know?"

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "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."

"Then it was you who wounded Aravis?"

"It was I."

"But what for?"

"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

I found this such a comfort, as I often forget who is in control and that I am not seeing the big picture. How often do we complain and consider ourselves unfortunate because of some inconvenience when it could just be God has put that diversion there to save you from something worse. We serve a loving and majestic God, and yet so often I find myself asking..."Why is this happening?" We can't see the whole picture...and most often, we aren't going to understand what He's doing in other people's lives. We just need to continue on doing what He is leading us to do.

Well, that's just one little thing I pulled out this time reading through this book. There were lots of other things but I'll let you read the book and discover them for yourselves. ;) And most likely you'll find something I didn't even see.

~Lizzie