Through the Wardrobe

What you see here was pleasantly discovered during our orientation to Teach Beyond at Wheaton College last summer.  Ever since I was a child I have been enchanted and challenged by The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis.  It wasn't just the magic of a hidden world that could be lurking in any of our homes; (although I did check many closets, wardrobes, and the like in my younger years); it was Aslan, the lion, that broke the evil witch's spell over the frozen land by offering himself as an innocent sacrifice for the guilt of another.  It was the first real glimpse I had of the Gospel of Jesus, stripped of all it's institutionalized religious lingo.

   So what is this picture to the left? It is the wardrobe that C.S.Lewis' grandfather built, and which inspired him in the writing of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Inside were fur coats, one of which belonged to Lewis's brother. I nearly cried as my daughters were allowed to open the wardrobe, touch the coats, and dream.

   
(Since writing this post, I have heard from a very reliable source that C.S.Lewis, in writing LWW,  was actually inspired by an E. Nesbit book, in which a young girl finds a new world through a door. Lewis attached the door idea to a wardrobe...not any particular one though.)

  We, all of us, dream. We hunger for our fallen world to be freed from the evil spell of sin. We hunger for the Justice that comes through Mercy, and that Mercy is found in the One who gave himself as a sacrifice for our guilt. And once we have found Him, we are forever beholden to His service, bound by the love He shows us, bound by the full freedom of His forgiveness.

 So maybe our family won't be going to Narnia anytime soon, but the adventure of serving the Lord at Black Forest Academy in Germany, feels like taking a step into the wardrobe and entering a new world full of wonder.

Right now we are overwhelmed with all the obstacles that stand between us and this new world. Things like selling our house, organizing all our belongings into: keep, store, sell, and give away; raising the rest of our monthly support in order to love those students at BFA well; all these things make us see mothballs and wooden backs to the wardrobe, instead of crisp white snow and a lamppost lighting the the darkness of the forest. (those who have read the book will get the reference, and those who have not read it, need to)

 But in the midst of the uncertainty and the busyness, we hear our Lord calling us to be still in Him, that He will show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him. He whispers again that His tender mercies are over all His works, and He promises that where He calls us to serve, He will provide. 

  

 

It's a scary thing to trust your life to the Lord. He might call you to do something that will make others sad or angry. He might not call you to the suburbs near all your friends and family, with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a secure job with a plentiful income. When we say that we will follow Jesus, it means that we will surrender all our hopes and expectations to His will. Things may look different than what the American dream promises.

We are so thankful that He is leading our family to serve at BFA. We are anxious to get there, but He is still working to show Himself strong in the journey on the way.

Thank you to so many who have joined us in this journey through prayer and financial support. Presently we are at 100% of our relocation funds and 40% of our monthly needs. And we cannot go if we are not sent. Thank you for helping to send us!


I'll leave you with the following passage from the book, it describes the feeling of losing your life to follow Christ, as seen through the character of Aslan, the lion:

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion."

 "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion

..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

If you're looking for the "safe" life, then don't follow Jesus.

But how comforting to know that He is good, and that He loves us deeply.