Monday, May 15, 2006

Eustace

Last night I read my favorite scene from the Chronicles of Narnia (so far, anyway).

It's the story of Eustace, who turns into a dragon, as a reflection of his already dragonish heart. Eustace is afraid of himself as a dragon, and hates what he has become, but doesn't know how to "un-dragon" (which is the term the children use) himself. One night Aslan visits him and leads him to a pool. Aslan tells him to peel off his skin, but every time Eustace does, another scaley layer is beneath it. It's only when Aslan scrapes the dragon skin away that the real Eustace can step out of it. Once he's out of the skin, he steps into the water and is clean.

It's so true, it's SO TRUE. Peel away all you want; layer after layer is just more of the same unless Jesus heals us.

I loved the way the story ended. The book says, in paraphrase, "I wish I could tell you that after that Eustace was a better boy. It's closer to the truth to say Eustace started to be a better boy. He had setbacks, but the cure had begun."

The cure had begun.

Amen.

4 comments:

The Bean said...

Holy Crap! I had NO idea you were pregnant!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! By the way, shame on everyone for not telling me this wonderful news. As soon as you get an ultrasound of you little grain of rice, I would love to see it. :) Miss you guys!

Liz said...

You know, I have never read any of those stories - but my pastor read that story once in church, and I cried. How beautiful.

Glad to hear you arent sickly. Love you. Call me sometime. =)

buf said...

I love...from The Last Battle;
"...because we are opposites [Tash and Aslan], I take to me the services which thou hast done to him, for he and I are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then though he says the name is Aslan, it is Tash who he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted."

buf said...

(anet-jay)