After dealing with Pride, Much-Afraid and her companions went on their way. Although Much-Afraid hobbled painfully, she was pleased to accept the help from her good guides. As the days wore on, the path turned a corner and before her was a great desert spread before them. There seemed to be nothing but an endless expanse of sand dunes, without a tree in sight. The only objects breaking the monotony of the desert were strange, towering pyramids rising above the dunes, hoary with age and grim with desolation. Immediately, fear arose in Much-Afraid. "I can't go down there. He can't mean that! Never! He called me up..to the High Places! This place is all wrong!" And she lifted her voice and called desperately, "Shepherd! Help! Oh! Please come and help me!" And in a moment He was there.
Much-Afraid explained that she could not understand this contradiction; wasn't she supposed to go UP Higher? But, he was patient and explained how this way was the path, and all who go the High Places must first go through the desert. She argued, still upset; "But it contradicts all that you promised!" and there was a sob of anguish. The Shepherd bowed his head, and he answered very quietly, "Much Afraid, do you love me enough to accept the postponement and what looks like a contradiction of my promise, and go down there with me into the desert?" She looked up through her tears, caught his hand in hers and, trembling, said, "I do love you, you know that. I can't help my tears, so I will go down with you, right away, if you really wish it, for you have the right to choose for me anything that you please."
It was very early morning; a crescent moon and the morning star shone like a jewel in the sky. Much-Afraid built her first altar on the mountains, a little pile of broken rocks. Then with the Shepherd standing beside her, she laid down on the altar her rebelling will. First, there was a burst of flame, then a heap of ashes, but as she looked closer, she saw among the ashes a little stone of some kind. And the Shepherd said, "Pick it up and take it with you, and it will be a memorial for all the stone and the altar stands for, the release of your rebellion."
As they continued on, the path became very steep, and Much-Afraid leaned on the Shepherd. Here they learned of the others long ago that had come this way. Abraham himself and his wife, along with a great host of others, like Joseph, the betrayed and wounded brother sold into slavery, and any number stretched out across the desert. The last one in line took Much-Afraid's hand and she became part of the great chain. The Shepherd explained, "An endless succession of my people have come this way and have learned the secret of royalty, and now you have come, too. It is a great privilege to become one of the princesses of the Royal Line, Much-Afraid."
They turned back to the huts to rest that night And in the morning. the Shepherd took Much-Afraid to an open space where there were great piles of grain. Women sat on the ground, grinding the grains to a powder. As they watched, Much Afraid noticed how the grains were first beaten and bruised until they crumbled to pieces, but still the grinding and beating process continued. So, the shepherd showed her how the different types of grains were ground with a different implement. And Much-Afraid noticed how long a time the grinding took for each of the types of grain. And the Shepherd said, "I bring my people here so that they, too, may be threshed and ground into the finest powder and may become the best goods possible for working in counsel and other works."
From there, they went to a potter who fashioned his clay into many beautiful shapes and objects. Always the clay lay still upon the wheel, submitting to his every touch, perfectly, unresisting. And the Shepherd said, I too, fashion my fairest and finest vessels and bring forth instruments for my work, as I see fit." Then he smiled, "Cannot I do with you, Much-Afraid, as this potter? Behold as the clay is in the hand of the potter so are you in my hand." (Jer.18)
Last of all he took her up the stairway to the highest floor and there was a room with a furnace, where rough pieces of stone and rock were left for a time and gold covered in its dross, also. These things were put into the great heat of the oven and left for a time. On being taken out, they flashed and were glorious as though they had received the fire into their very hearts. And it was here the Shepherd said the loveliest thing of all,"You who are afflicted and not comforted, behold, I will lay these stones with fair colors and lay your foundations, too, in a fire and you will be my rarest and choicest jewels and my finest gold, refined in the furnace of Egypt." And Much-Afraid thought of all the things which she had seen and received while in the desert, and said, "Shepherd, I am your handmaiden, called Acceptance-with-Joy." Then, she stooped and picked up a pebble which lay in the sand and put it in her purse with her first altar stone. (End of today's portion of Much-Afraid's story)
This part of the story is my favorite. All of the things in my life that have been "talked about" and considered as "needing change" are slowly going through those changes. I may have to live a very long time to make all of the changes necessary, but I am learning to be patient on the one hand and very grateful on the other. God has been very good to me and yet, I know it his recommendation that I continue to hang in there!
Do you notice changes God has made? Hope so!
Jo INMN
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