Much-Afraid and Me

If you've never read Hannah Hurnard's Hinds Feet on High Places, you must! It's a really good book. It's an allegory (even if you despise allegories, you should read this book. Jesus liked allegories...) for a believer's walk with God. In the story, Much-Afraid is a simple, lame shepherdess in charge of a small flock of the King's sheep. But her fearsome Fearing relatives have her completely in their power, and as their name suggests, in their power is not a very nice place to be! But every morning and every evening, Much-Afraid slips away to a crystal pool to keep tryst with the Shepherd. One day the Shepherd asks her to go with Him to the High Places. Much-Afraid protests on account of her malady. The Shepherd tells her that by going to the High Places, she will develop hinds' feet, and then He plants the seed of Love (which is very like a thorn) in her heart. The sowing is painful, but the Shepherd promises her that Love cannot come without pain, and that when the seed of Love has grown up and is ready to bloom, then He will take her up to the High Places. But it will be a long and arduous journey which she must begin at once. The Shepherd give Much-Afraid two helpers to help her on her way and to bear her up when her lameness keeps her from ascending. These helpers are sisters names Sorrow and Suffering.
Well, to hear the rest, you'll just have to read the book! I hope my little synopsis has whetted your appetite. The most special thing about the book is the relationship between Much-Afraid and the Shepherd. She is a cowardly, crippled thing, but something about her looks very familiar...
Read it!

You know what I love about Amy Carmichael? You have to read her stuff about three times before you understand it and then three more to realize what it really means. But it’s not because it’s tedious. It’s because it’s so rich! There is so much depth and wisdom in her writing. Check out this poem that’s on the back of my copy of her book If:

Love through me, Love of God
Make me like thy clear air
Through which, unhindered, colors pass
As though it were not there.

Powers of the love of God,
Depths of the heart Divine,
O love that faileth not, break forth,
And flood this world of Thine.

‘Nough said!

Breaking Pretzel News... sorta

Guess what, everyone? The Parmesan Herb pretzel is back at Auntie Anne's after being discontinued for over two years! This discontinuance (is that the right word? Oh, well, my blog, my rules!) has not stopped people (generally Canadians) from trying to order this pretzel at least once a week, and being generally annoyed at the news that it's been gone for a matter of years. So with great anticipation, I carefully prepared myself a Parm, as per Aunt Marie's instructions, and, armed with a marinara dip, plunged into the back to make my tastebuds acquainted with the infamous Parmesan Herb pretzel....
I see why they discontinued it. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, and I did enjoy it, but there are others I like better. So much for that great moment of triumph. Tune in again next week.