Prepare For Rain

Can you help share this urgent need?

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Jim Needs to Find a Living Kidney Donor Close family and friends have banded together to help Jim as he searches for his potential living kidney donor, knowing this person may save his life.

Anyone having a hard week?

Getting "feedback" that leaves you wounded?

A mentor of mine candidly shared some of his life this week online...and received a very mixed bag of responses.

So I did my best to send him some encouragement, as well as a link to a blog I wrote about 10 years ago after a similar kind of week that he's been having.

Perhaps you'll find it enlightening: "How to Protect Your Life's Purpose From "Black Crabs'"

https://www.prepareforrain.com/joel-blog/how-to-protect-your-lifes-purpose-from-black-crabs/

Joel

Hey there Mama Bear!

Thank you for your support during the promo of my Calm Mom Ultimate Mother's Day bundle! It was great to share with you more of the tools I've created to grow your mama bear skills.

Interested in joining the Mom Keep Calm newsletter where you can get additional ongoing support?

You'll get a mix of the following just once a month:

* Monthly Roundup
*Latest & Greatest
*Exclusives
*Book recommendations
*New member welcome
*Giveaways
*Q&A
*Other bits and bobs

Just click the link! I look forward to having you join us!

~Janet

Everything You Need to Get Back the Love WELCOME!

LAST DAY to Get Your Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle :-)

Hi there, Mama Bear!

I wanted to let you know that TODAY will be the LAST DAY you can get your hands on the epic Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle for only $97.

https://momkeepcalm.com/harmony

So, just to be REALLY clear:

When you order now, you’ll SAVE 94% off the regular price off the bundle and get $1,486 in valuable resources, including:

* Teenage Rebellion Deconstructed: “Twelve Steps Through An ‘I Hate You!’ Letter” reveals how you can not just survive this painful drama but turn it into something wonderful…really! | Webinar + Guide [$97 value]

* Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey (or “All Is Calm, Even Mom”): “How I Overcame My Mama Bear Blues While Raising a Teen Girl” (and you can too!) | Webinar + Workbook [$197 value]

* Self-Care For Moms—Thriving Through Turmoil: “Highlights of ‘The Neutral Zone’” will empower you to prioritize your own well-being amidst the challenges of nurturing your daughter. | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* Unlocking Authentic Conversations: “5 Key Questions (& Advanced Steps) to Help Your (Pre)Teen Girl Grow Stronger From Her Biggest Mistakes” | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* The Art of Active Listening—Strengthening Your Mother-Daughter Connection: Become a Locksmith Mom…the “3 Secrets to Unlock Your Daughter’s Heart” reveals the exact steps you can take today to create (or repair) a lifelong bond with your girl | Webinar + Workbook [$397 value]

* Discovering Your Daughter’s Love Language: Based on our founder’s multiple award-winning book, The L.O.V.E.D. Checklist will help you discover a powerful new framework that will get you through even the toughest patch with your daughter…or anyone else! | Checklist [$77 value]

* Power of Positive Reinforcement by Encouraging Growth & Confidence: “Keep Calm & Dress On” is the ultimate guide for successfully navigating the “Calm Clothing Conversation” that will literally keep the door open for other necessary conversations (on any topic) | Guidebook [$47 value]

* The Calm Mom Coupon Book: Have an absolute blast surprising your daughter with 18 super fun activities & dates, designed to bring your hearts together! | Coupon book [$77 value]

===============

This is hands-down the best deal we’ve ever offered, and something we may never be able to do again.

To claim your Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle at this special price before they’re gone for good, simply click on the link below to order now:

https://momkeepcalm.com/harmony

Thanks again!

Janet
The Mom Whisperer
Founder, Mom Keep Calm

Unlocking Harmony Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey with Ease

Subject: Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle - Your Questions Answered

Hi there Mama Bear,

I’ve been getting a TON of questions about our Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle.

So, I thought I’d take a moment to answer some of the most common questions people have been asking me, all in one place.

Let’s get started...

===============
What’s included in the Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle?
===============

You get 8 Resources for less than the PRICE of JUST ONE webinar!
That means you’re getting 8 resources—video trainings, workbooks, guides (+ something fun)—absolutely FREE.

* Teenage Rebellion Deconstructed: “Twelve Steps Through An ‘I Hate You!’ Letter” reveals how you can not just survive this painful drama but turn it into something wonderful…really! | Webinar + Guide [$97 value]

* Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey (or “All Is Calm, Even Mom”): “How I Overcame My Mama Bear Blues While Raising a Teen Girl” (and you can too!) | Webinar + Workbook [$197 value]

* Self-Care For Moms—Thriving Through Turmoil: “Highlights of ‘The Neutral Zone’” will empower you to prioritize your own well-being amidst the challenges of nurturing your daughter. | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* Unlocking Authentic Conversations: “5 Key Questions (& Advanced Steps) to Help Your (Pre)Teen Girl Grow Stronger From Her Biggest Mistakes” | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* The Art of Active Listening—Strengthening Your Mother-Daughter Connection: Become a Locksmith Mom…the “3 Secrets to Unlock Your Daughter’s Heart” reveals the exact steps you can take today to create (or repair) a lifelong bond with your girl | Webinar + Workbook [$397 value]

* Discovering Your Daughter’s Love Language: Based on our founder’s multiple award-winning book, The L.O.V.E.D. Checklist will help you discover a powerful new framework that will get you through even the toughest patch with your daughter…or anyone else! | Checklist [$77 value]

* Power of Positive Reinforcement by Encouraging Growth & Confidence: “Keep Calm & Dress On” is the ultimate guide for successfully navigating the “Calm Clothing Conversation” that will literally keep the door open for other necessary conversations (on any topic) | Guidebook [$47 value]

* The Calm Mom Coupon Book: Have an absolute blast surprising your daughter with 18 super fun activities & dates, designed to bring your hearts together! | Coupon book [$77 value]

===============
To get your Special Offer Now… Click this link: https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7 to get instant access here now
===============
Can I make the most of this bundle even if I’ve tried everything before and still have all this chaos?
===============

Absolutely!

• Because the “Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle” includes the Unlocking Authentic Conversations…which shows you how to help your girl grow stronger from her mistakes instead of angry and paralyzed with fear.

• In addition, when you take up your FREE access to All Is Calm…Even Mom you’re going to learn EVEN more strategies for calming dealing with your own mistakes and fears, quickly moving beyond them, so you can keep your Inner Mama Bear chilled out.

• PLUS… if you’re scrambling to revisit some training, just grab one of the workbooks, checklists, guides or coupons (plus there’s a 3rd webinar & workbook)…and you’re back on the path to calm!
So, we’ve got you covered!

===============
How much does it cost?
===============

Normally, all the inclusions in the “Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle” would be $1,486.

But you’re not going to pay that when you take up the special Limited Time Offer of just one payment of $97.

If you try ordering all these trainings individually directly from our website, you’re going to see the regular price of $1,486.

The special Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle price ONLY applies to NEW orders, placed directly through THIS link.

https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7

No coupon code is required. You simply follow the link and get instant access to the special pricing.

===============
Is there a Guarantee?
===============

First…the reason for this massive sale is that we’ve given our brand an update in 2024, so everything looks uniform and gorgeous…the content, though, retains all of its tasty awesomeness! 😉 And…we want even more Mama Bears to get help from it all!

So…this Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle is SUCH a steal of a deal, there are no refunds with this offer.

(If you don’t know me well enough to know the commitment to quality content and training that we have in all our products and programs, then this training is probably not for you).

But there’s a catch…

This offer is due to expire VERY soon.

So you do need to act now to get the bonuses and special pricing today!

So don’t miss out.

You’re just moments away from diving into the Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle…

You’ve got this, Mama Bear!
Janet :-)

P.S. The opportunity to save 94% off my Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle is expiring this weekend.

Remember, the ONLY way to take advantage of this deal is to use this special link in this email, which also grants you access to 8 Trainings for the price of 1 (that’s like getting 8 FREE amazing resources!).

Click this special link - https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7 - to take advantage of this offer TODAY before it disappears.

Unlocking Harmony Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey with Ease

Hi there, Mama Bear!

It’s Janet here.

We decided to do something fun for Mother’s Day. (It's even better than our Black Friday offer). And you might think it’s a little crazy...

I wanted to get this to you right away, because I’m only doing this for the next couple of days.

Here’s the best part...

YOU get a MOUNTAIN of Mama Bear goodies!

Here’s what I’m talking about…
===============
Like I mentioned, for a very short time, we’ve put together “The Calm Mom Ultimate Bundle” for Mother’s Day—at a massive discount of 94%, which saves you $1,389. Woot!

You get 8 Resources for less than the PRICE of JUST ONE webinar!

That means you’re getting 8 resources—webinars, trainings, workbooks, guides (+ something fun) absolutely FREE.

But here’s the thing. After this Flash Sale is over, the price will jump back to the regular value of $1,486. Like a bear climbing back up its tree. 😉

===============

Here’s how it works:

To nab this special, one-time opportunity you must use the following link: https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7

Remember, when you buy now, you get:

* Teenage Rebellion Deconstructed: “Twelve Steps Through An ‘I Hate You!’ Letter” reveals how you can not just survive this painful drama but turn it into something wonderful…really! | Guide/eBook [$97 value]

* Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey (or “All Is Calm, Even Mom”): “How I Overcame My Mama Bear Blues While Raising a Teen Girl” (and you can too!) | Webinar + Workbook [$197 value]

* Self-Care For Moms—Thriving Through Turmoil: “Highlights of ‘The Neutral Zone’” will empower you to prioritize your own well-being amidst the challenges of nurturing your daughter. | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* Unlocking Authentic Conversations: “5 Key Questions (& Advanced Steps) to Help Your (Pre)Teen Girl Grow Stronger From Her Biggest Mistakes” | Webinar + Workbook [$297 value]

* The Art of Active Listening—Strengthening Your Mother-Daughter Connection: Become a Locksmith Mom…the “3 Secrets to Unlock Your Daughter’s Heart” reveals the exact steps you can take today to create (or repair) a lifelong bond with your girl | Webinar + Workbook [$397 value]

* Discovering Your Daughter’s Love Language: Based on our founder’s multiple award-winning book, The L.O.V.E.D. Checklist will help you discover a powerful new framework that will get you through even the toughest patch with your daughter…or anyone else! | Checklist [$77 value]

* Power of Positive Reinforcement by Encouraging Growth & Confidence: “Keep Calm & Dress On” is the ultimate guide for successfully navigating the “Calm Clothing Conversation” that will literally keep the door open for other necessary conversations (on any topic) | Guidebook [$47 value]

* The Calm Mom Coupon Book: Have an absolute blast surprising your daughter with 18 super fun activities & dates, designed to bring your hearts together! | Coupon book [$77 value]

===============

So, if you’ve been considering getting this, but you were still on the fence…

Or if you’ve wanted to get this, but the price was just a little too high…

Now’s the perfect time to order. Yay! 😍

But don’t delay…

Go ahead and order right now while you’re at your computer still thinking about it… and before this CRAZY steal of a deal goes away.

Here’s the link once again: https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7

You’re just seconds away from nabbing this amazing deal!

To your Mama Bear calm!

Your Mom Keep Calm Support Team ❤

P.S. If you want to get access to my “Calm Mom Ultimate Mother’s Day Bundle” for a massive saving of 94% and get 8 resources for the PRICE of JUST ONE (imagine getting 8 resources absolutely FREE!), it’s as simple as… Clicking on https://quiz.momkeepcalm.com/sf/022d78c7 You’ll have instant access just minutes from now.

Thanks so much, Mama Bear!

Unlocking Harmony Navigating the Mother-Daughter Journey with Ease

Need a spring in your step? Check out these resources.

Coaching Tools & Resources – Prepare For Rain This coaching toolbox is full of powerful audios, worksheets, guides and assessments. Get started using them now. All are tested and proven.

An excellent article and clarion call for change.

The Necessity of Courage for the Christian Life: Reflections on Growing a Spine Courage is the testing point of every virtue. Courage is what shows the world whether you actually believe what you say you believe — or whether your Christian “convictions” are just another form of empty virtue signaling. For almost three decades now, evangelical Christianity in America has b...

So very good in these troubled, fractious times.

One of the most beloved and quotable scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia is from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the children learn that 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.”

Though we love the idea that God is not “safe,” we often live as if our safety or comfort marks the boundaries of our relationship with Him. Catechized by bad theology, captivated by our culture’s enablement of self-centeredness, or weary of an angry and fractious age, many Christians cannot conceive that God’s will for our lives could involve anything unpleasant or uncomfortable.

When it does and our expectations collapse, we wonder if God cares, having conflated God’s faithfulness with a painless, placid life of blessing and provision. We are quick to assume that pain or discomfort means that God’s will has been thwarted, or that His love and protection have been withdrawn. It’s difficult to accept that, rather than a sign of God’s absence, the presence of pain could be a sign of His sovereign care.

Throughout The Horse and His Boy, Aslan continually allows fear, hardship, and even physical pain for the main characters. When Shasta, one of the two main humans in the story, is fleeing from his abusive adoptive father on the Narnian horse Bree, a lion chases them through the darkness. Fleeing from the danger, he encounters another rider fleeing from, it seems, another lion. Aravis is also escaping her home on a talking Narnian horse. Their shared fear and confusion bring them together for a journey neither of them could have made without the other.

Later, in the story, they’re riding as fast as they can to head off a threat to Narnia. Just as Bree claims he can go no faster, a “new” lion closes in on them. Lewis writes,

His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast—not quite as fast—as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were going all out.

The lion then badly wounds Aravis, before retreating unexpectedly.

Later, Shasta learns the full story. There was only one lion, not many. Aslan was “swift of foot.” Without the fears and the pain, Shasta and Aravis, Bree and Hwin, would have never met; their quest would have failed; the enemy would have been victorious; and Shasta would never have learned who he truly was. The pain wasn’t an afterthought on Aslan’s part, but a key element in his plan.

None of this implies that pain should be sought out. Pain is never the point of God’s plans, any more than it is the purpose of physical exercise. Never pushing ourselves to the point that it hurts means never improving our health. On the other hand, seeking pain is more likely to do harm than to aid our well-being.

In and of itself, pain is not good, but it is meaningful. Pain indicates that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Without pain, we’d never know. In the same way, breaking bad habits of the past requires pushing beyond our comfort levels, through the pain, and onward on the path to full restoration.

Pain is sometimes required to reorient us. What else can turn one away from a debilitating addiction or insatiable sexual impulse? Without discomfort, would we ever give up on our preferred source of “safety” for the faithful and sometimes painful love of God? Whether through sickness or sacrifice, in ending a dream or enduring hostility, we must remember that God’s faithfulness is not determined by how well our lives are going. In fact, it is often known only in the hardest things of life.

To deny that God could or would use discomfort for our good is to deny that He is present in our pain. He is. Just as, in His quest to restore the glory of His creation, He did not shrink back from inflicting pain on His dear Son, His love for His people often includes a level of discomfort and pain. In the end, it is part of His work to restore His image bearers to their intended dignity.

As Lewis wrote elsewhere, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

(This Breakpoint is re-published from 11.4.21)

https://breakpoint.org/aslan-and-the-path-of-faithful-pain-2/

"The disappearance of theology from the life of the Church, and the orchestration of that disappearance by some of its leaders, is hard to miss today, but oddly enough, not easy to prove. It is hard to miss in the evangelical world--in the vacuous worship that is so prevalent, for example, in the shift from God to the self as the central focus of faith, in the psychologized preaching that follows this shift, in the erosion of its conviction, in its strident pragmatism, in its inability to think incisively about the culture, in its reveling in the irrational." ~ David F. Wells

Consider this…

A fact that everyone needs to hear. Certain times in history require we use our voices, this is one of those times. Follow me for truth without fear.

Inexpressibly beautiful...
https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen/watch/bonus/93c9067a-0eaf-4cbc-9acb-beb1a6ddad36?ap=true

Are you ready to find out why a QUIZ is the best way to grow your business right now?

Ryan Levesque and the ASK Method Company are hosting their once-per-year QUIZ Funnel Workshop on June 13-18, at 3pm CT daily, to talk about the power of QUIZZES.

During the weeklong training, Ryan will also help you come up with your “big idea,” choose the best quiz type for your business, and brainstorm your quiz questions.

People are paying $100 to get access but I’ve got a coupon code for you (100OFF) so you can get in for free: https://bit.ly/3aG5yhf

G. K. Chesterton said that gratitude is the queen of the virtues. Today of all days we should remember this. Realizing we owe a debt to those who sacrificed for our good encourages us to live for the good of future generations ourselves.

In his classic book, “The Crisis of Our Age,” sociologist Pitirim A. Sorokin described the difference between cultures on the decline and cultures that were progressing. The main difference, he said, was whether the people in that culture were living for immediate gratification or ordering their lives around higher ideals that drove them to build for the future.

Out-of-control national and personal debt is evidence we struggle to live for the future. Remembering the sacrifices of others on our behalf can restore our vision. So amidst the cookouts and activities of this memorial day, take a minute to remember and be thankful for those who gave their lives for us. It’ll do us all good.

By: John Stonestreet

Wise words.

Learn more at TheWhyMinutes.com

Christianity Has Nothing to Hide

Many say they want a world without Christianity, but many secular thinkers are discovering they should be careful what they wish for.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of a public high school football coach who was fired for praying on the field after games. Though the firing should never have happened, this now years-long controversy has provided a window into how many in our culture feel about Christian prayer. Hint: they’re not positive feelings.

Still, one specific prayer, known as the Serenity Prayer, remains a part of our shared cultural language and a staple of addiction recovery meetings: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Of course, Alcoholics Anonymous’ official position is that the “God” of the Serenity Prayer can be any sort of Higher Power you wish, but it is profound that most addiction recovery programs continue to stubbornly insist that faith is critical for addiction recovery. That insistence is backed by a constantly growing mountain of data, which has become un-ignorable. Even the government quietly admits that faith-based recovery programs are the most effective.

A re-discovery of Christianity’s practical benefits isn’t just happening in addiction recovery. The more that various aspects of our culture struggle under the weight of bad ideas and their consequences, the more and more people are discovering “new” solutions in the old Scriptures.

Canadian clinical psychologist and self-described nonbeliever Jordan Peterson has become famous in part for his bold claims that Christianity has a unique positive impact on individuals and culture. Contemporary historian Tom Holland, a self-described atheist, literally wrote the book on the responsibility Christianity bears for just about every good thing about modern culture. According to Holland:

[Christianity] is the principal reason why, by and large, most of us… still take for granted that it is nobler to suffer than to inflict suffering. It is why we generally assume that every human life is of equal value.

And just last week, in former New York Times’ reporter Bari Weiss’s new independent Substack, non-believing author Tim DeRoche put forth what he called “The Secular Case for Christianity”:

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the most successful meme in the history of the world. And the spread of that meme over the last 2,000 years has largely been correlated with decreasing levels of slavery, war, crime, poverty, and general suffering.

Modern culture, the same modern culture so scandalized by football field prayers and so put off by Christian sexual ethics, must reckon with what Christianity has given the world, DeRoche argued.

We should, of course, welcome this kind of cultural self-discovery, though it is a bit like the angsty teenager who rejects the ways of his parents in order to find a more “enlightened” way to do life. But, after all his experimentation, that teen is forced to admit his open-mindedness only led to suffering and maybe his parents were right after all.

Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck wrote that “an independent creature is a contradiction in terms.” In other words, whether we acknowledge He’s there or not, all creatures were made and are sustained by God. He knows best, and He knows us best. That He chose to reveal Himself to us in the creation, the Bible and ultimately in Christ is a tremendous mercy. A Christian life isn’t without suffering, of course, but it is the only life in which suffering has meaning, can be redeemed, and will ultimately be defeated.

Christians who claim that publicly promoting Christian ethics is somehow intrusive or unloving miss this point, as well as the related point that sharing the best way to live is a way of loving our neighbors. Years ago, comedian Penn Jillette of the comedy duo Penn and Teller famously said that he did not respect Christians who did not proselytize. “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” he asked. How much do you have to hate somebody to not tell them the best way to live life?

To be clear, neither Christian faith nor Christian public witness is utilitarian. Christianity isn’t true because it “works,” but it does work because it’s true. If God did not take the form of a man, if He had not died and then resurrected, if He were not on the throne of the universe, then Christianity’s cultural “benefits” would not matter all that much. But He did, so they do.

The Church’s great opportunity is not to say, “I told you so,” but rather “come and see.” The world is better because Christianity is true. Now, come and meet the One behind it all.

By: John Stonestreet and Maria Baer

The greatest news you’ll ever know.

One of my all-time favorite B.C. comic strips has two guys talking.

“I hate the term Good Friday,” says one.

“Why?” says the other guy.

“My Lord was hanged on a tree that day,” the first guy replies.

“But if you were going to be hanged on that day,” his friend says, “and He volunteered to take your place, how would you feel?”

“Good,” the first guy replies.

And there it is. Today marks the greatest act of love in the history of the universe: “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Today on very a special BreakPoint podcast, we air four of Chuck Colson’s classic BreakPoint commentaries reflecting on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the day that, as he said, tells “the truth about everything.”

By: John Stonestreet

Indeed, He is. 💖🙏✝

Jesus, Strong and Kind (feat. Colin Buchanan) "Jesus, Strong and Kind" recorded at Studios 301 and live at St Paul's Castle Hill.Words and Music By Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Michael Farren & Colin ...

Celebrate his mission and work.

The REAL story of St. Patrick's Day:
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every March 17, but why? Many who celebrate have only a vague idea that there was a real man — a Christian — named Patrick. He was born in Britain to a Christian family, but he didn’t accept Christ until after he was kidnapped at age 15 by Irish pirates and sold to a harsh Druid man in Ireland. Patrick was forced to work as a herdsman by his captors, and during that time he would pray for hours. At age 22, he escaped and returned to Britain. But several years later, he had a dream calling him back to Ireland to minister to its people. Heeding this call, Patrick journeyed throughout Ireland, sharing Christ until his death, which is thought to have been around March 17, A.D. 461. Whether you’re wearing green or not, remember the story of the Christian witness behind St. Patrick’s Day.

Prepare For Rain added a button to help you learn more about them.

What's keeping you stuck? Take the quiz to find out.

What's Keeping Me Stuck? There are MANY BLOCKERS to living a life of purpose. Even strongest believers get stuck, but then wonder how that could be. There are four very common blockers that get in the way of living out our faith with boldness, joy and purpose. Take the quiz to find out which one may be getting in your way.

Merry Christmas!

Excellent insights. Highly recommend!

One of the most beloved and quotable scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia is from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the children learn that 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.”

Though we love the idea that God is not “safe,” we often live as if our safety or comfort marks the boundaries of our relationship with Him. Catechized by bad theology, captivated by our culture’s enablement of self-centeredness, or weary of an angry and fractious age, many Christians cannot conceive that God’s will for our lives could involve anything unpleasant or uncomfortable.

When it does and our expectations collapse, we wonder if God cares, having conflated God’s faithfulness with a painless, placid life of blessing and provision. We are quick to assume that pain or discomfort means that God’s will has been thwarted, or that His love and protection have been withdrawn. It’s difficult to accept that, rather than a sign of God’s absence, the presence of pain could be a sign of His sovereign care.

Throughout The Horse and His Boy, Aslan continually allows fear, hardship, and even physical pain for the main characters. When Shasta, one of the two main humans in the story, is fleeing from his abusive, adoptive father on the Narnian horse Bree, a lion chases them through the darkness. Fleeing from the danger, he encounters another rider fleeing from, it seems, another lion. Aravis is also escaping her home on a talking Narnian horse. Their shared fear and confusion bring them together for a journey neither of them could have made without the other.

Later, in the story, they’re riding as fast as they can to head off a threat to Narnia. Just as Bree claims he can go no faster, a “new” lion closes in on them. Lewis writes,

“His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast – not quite as fast – as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were going all out.

The lion then badly wounds Aravis, before retreating unexpectedly.

Later, Shasta learns the full story. There was only one lion, not many. Aslan was “swift of foot.” Without the fears and the pain, Shasta and Aravis, Bree and Hwin, would have never met; their quest would have failed; the enemy would have been victorious; and Shasta would never have learned who he truly was. The pain wasn’t an afterthought on Aslan’s part, but a key element in his plan.

None of this implies that pain should be sought out. Pain is never the point of God’s plans, any more than it is the purpose of physical exercise. Never pushing ourselves to the point that it hurts means never improving our health. On the other hand, seeking pain is more likely to do harm than to aid our well-being.

In and of itself, pain is not good, but it is meaningful. Pain indicates that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Without pain, we’d never know. In the same way, breaking bad habits of the past requires pushing beyond our comfort levels, through the pain, and onward on the path to full restoration.

Pain is sometimes required to reorient us. What else can turn one away from a debilitating addiction or insatiable sexual impulse? Without discomfort, would we ever give up on our preferred source of “safety” for the faithful and sometimes painful love of God? Whether through sickness or sacrifice, in ending a dream or enduring hostility, we must remember that God’s faithfulness is not determined by how well our lives are going. In fact, it is often known only in the hardest things of life.

To deny that God could or would use discomfort for our good is to deny that He is present in our pain. He is. Just as, in His quest to restore the glory of His creation, He did not shrink back from inflicting pain on His dear Son, His love for His people often includes a level of discomfort and pain. In the end, it is part of His work to restore His image-bearers to their intended dignity.

As Lewis wrote elsewhere, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

By: John Stonestreet & Timothy Emmalee Padgett