How The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis can teach us the importance of our story and not comparing it to each other. God shows up in every person’s life in a different way. No two stories are alike.
Dear Reader,
Autumn leaves are starting to turn color, harvest season is here, and the September birthday marathon has commenced! All three of my brothers have their birthdays this month, which is quite wonderful!
I sit here with a coffee in hand, sitting beside an open window, and a cool breeze flows from outside. I want to tell you about yet another book in the Chronicles of Narnia. One I just read last month in preparation for this letter.
This book in particular always reminds me of my mom. We were reading the book together with coffee and tea, sitting down for our weekly tea time and reading aloud. This is the book that made my mom cry. Something about the story spoke to her soul.
That is something I love about C.S. Lewis’ books. So often his books have appeared in times of need and have spoken deep truths into my heart and the hearts of others.
I think we as people are naturally interested in other people’s stories. I love hearing people’s stories and testimonies.
One of my favorite things is getting to know a person and hearing about their life and their walk with Jesus. I think it is wonderful to hear other Christians’ stories of faith. I think it can inspire us to be more bold in our faith, more Christlike, more compassionate, more humble, and more confident. I think it can also be encouraging to know we are not alone in something.
It’s been really encouraging to me when I’ve shared about struggles of mine (in health or waiting or worries) that there have been some of you who have reached out and have shared about your own struggles with similar things. It’s encouraging because then we can pray for each other. We are not alone. We are a family of believers; none of us has to feel alone or apart. I think God can connect us to each other so we don’t feel so alone and hopeless.
I hope you can see me as a fellow sister in Christ!
That being said, comparison is a sneaky little thing. As it is natural to be interested in other people’s stories, I think it is also natural to compare your story to another’s.
That person’s prayer was answered before mine. I’ve been waiting on this for years, and this person got it instantly. I’m single, with my friends all getting married or engaged. Everyone knows what they are going to do with their life but me. God is working in this person’s life, but I don’t see Him working in mine. This person got published as a teenager, and now I’m not a teenager, so will I never get published? Why am I still waiting?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. I know I have. Sometimes it is big things, and other times it is silly things. Sometimes it’s small, like they have cuter books than me (silly, right?). Sometimes it is big, like waiting on a prayer and seeing it answered in someone else's life and not yours.
God is the good author. He has a story unique to you. He has a journey He wants to take you on to grow, get closer to Him, and be who He made you to be. Your story is going to be different from those around you. I think this is perfectly illustrated in the book of John.
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
—John 21:20-23
Instead of just hearing what Jesus is saying to him, Peter turns and asks, “What about this man?” I love that Jesus brings Peter’s focus back to Him. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Don’t worry about having the same story as someone else. Don’t worry about what God is doing in someone else’s life. What is that to you? You follow Jesus.
Yes, we can celebrate and encourage other people in their walk with God. Yes, we can find wisdom and inspiration from other people’s stories. Yes, we can pray for others and intercede for other people through prayer. If you have family, friends, children, or a spouse, you will want to know what God is doing in their lives. I also caution you, don’t get so obsessed with others' stories that you forget the story God is writing for you.
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is a wonderful book. In it are amazing lessons of faith. I love how you can learn from Aslan truths and things about Jesus.
One of the lessons is such:
“Child,” said the Lion, “I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own.”
—C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy
No one is told any story but their own.
This is a repeated phrase at the end of The Horse and His Boy. God shows up in every person’s life in a different way. No two stories are alike. The same as no two snowflakes are the same. Jesus works in each of our lives in a different way.
There may be similarities between my story and yours, but each is different and is uniquely written by Jesus.
God is writing you a story—He is the good author after all—just for you.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of comparison. It can be easy to compare your story to another’s. What about this man? What about this woman?
There is a soft whisper; no one is told any story but their own.
You follow Jesus.
Yours Truly,
Moriyah
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P.S.
There are talking animals, runaways, and perilous dangers (including children going into battle, but they end up alright), as well as a curse.
Like the other books in The Chronicles of Narnia, the story points to Jesus (through Aslan), and I believe you will learn truths about God and the Bible while reading these stories (at least that is what I have learned from these stories).
If you love The Chronicles of Narnia then I think you’ll love the album “Into The Lantern Waste” by Sarah Sparks. It’s a collection of songs inspired by the Narnia books!
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