Thursday, August 23, 2012

Hidden Life Excerpt from Hinds' Feet Book

My daughter and I are right in the middle of reading aloud, Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I cannot say enough about the value of reading great books, and the godly influence they can have on our lives. Proof is in the pudding! So I am giving you an excerpt.

Much-Afraid is a deformed, blemished imperfect central character (uh, that would be me, or hope you don't mind me saying this but—us, sinners who trust in a perfect Savior) who is on her way to the beautiful "High Places" that the Shepherd (Christ Jesus) has for her. 

She just came across a gorgeous patch of a multitude of blossoms that formed a beautiful carpet of sorts—more beautiful than even found in a palace.

She wondered why this beauty existed where goats would trample and in such remote a place that no one could gaze on its beauty or even appreciate it. The Shepherd replied to her:

" '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 them selves, that it is so happy to love, eve though one is not loved in return.'

'I must tell you a great 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...when you get to the steep places of the mountains it will comfort you.' 

'...Come, the birds are all singing so joyously, let us join them too...' " 

Listen to these birds obeying God perfectly as they sang out in the early morning light last March 15, 2012, from the trees in my backyard. Listen how willingly and confidently they sing their best no matter if anyone is listening or not.


We serve the all-knowing powerful Creator God who made us and sees us. Think of it! The Creator of the Universe sees us!

Perhaps it seems as though no one appreciates something about your life. Give it to God! Offer yourself fully to him, just like the wildflowers do with all their might whether no one is watching or not! It is enough to know that your life was created by God, and nothing offered to Him is wasted!

May we both seek God as our life is hidden with Christ—I'm talking to myself, too!

May He help us to go against the world's message of self-love and seek self-abandonment in the life hidden with Christ!


"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." ~Colossians 3:3

Walk in faith,

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