Excerpted Inspirations #21

"Her hands folded in her lap, Miss Montague closed her eyes; she was very tired.

[...] "How much more friendly it is when you cannot see, thought Miss Montague, and how much closer we are to Him. Why should we always want a light? He chose darkness for us, darkness of the womb and of the stable, darkness in the garden, darkness on the cross and in the grave. Why do I demand certainty? That is not faith. Why do I want to understand? How can I understand this great web of sin and ugliness and love and suffering and joy and life and death when I don't understand the little tangle of good and evil that is myself? I've enough to understand. I understand that He gave me light that I might turn to Him, for without light I could not have seen to turn. I have seen creation in His light. He shared His light with me that I, turned, might share with Him the darkness of his redemption. Why did I despair? What did I want? If it is Him I want He is here, not only love in light illuming all that He has made but love in darkness dying for it... And she said, I will learn to pray."

-Elizabeth Goudge, The Dean's Watch (1960), pp. 132-133