In Hind’s Feet on
High Places (Hannah Hurnard; Tyndale House Publishers; 1975), Much-Afraid
is beginning her journey to the High Places. The Shepherd is taking her to the
foot of the mountain and she is marveling at the wildflowers.
“Much-Afraid looked at him earnestly. “I have often
wondered about the wildflowers,” she said. “It does seem strange that such
unnumbered multitudes should bloom in the wild places of the earth where
perhaps nobody ever sees them and the goats and cattle can walk over them and
crush them to death. They have so much beauty and sweetness to give and no one
on whom to lavish it, nor who will even appreciate it.”
The look the Shepherd turned on her was very beautiful.
“Nothing my Father and I have made is ever wasted,” he said quietly, “and the
little wild flowers have a wonderful lesson to teach. They offer themselves so
sweetly and confidently and willingly, even if it seems that there is no one to
appreciate them. Just as though they sang a joyous little song to themselves,
that it is so happy to love, even though one is not loved in return.
“I must tell you the truth, Much-Afraid, which only the few
understand. All the fairest beauties in the human soul, its greatest victories,
and its most splendid achievements are always those which no one else knows
anything about, or can only dimly guess at. Every inner response of the human
heart to Love and every conquest over self-love is a new flower on the tree of
Love.
“Many a quiet, ordinary, and hidden life, unknown to the
world, is a veritable garden in which Love’s flowers and fruits have come to
such perfection that it is a place of delight where the King of Love himself
walks and rejoices with his friends. Some of my servants have indeed won great
visible victories and are rightly loved and reverenced by other men, but always
their greatest victories are like the wild flowers, those which no one knows
about. Learn this lesson now, down here in the valley, Much-Afraid, and when
you get to the steep places of the mountains it will comfort you.””
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