Grace Visible and Screwtape Revisited

Jan. 14, 2008
Here I am in wintry Wiconsin, where the sky and the ground match. Both are white. One is white with the falling snow and one with the fallen. And my sister lives in a little gray house near the railroad track with her husband and daughter, and grace and faith.
Actually, her daughter's name is Grace. And she is a beauty - almost six months old with the bluest eyes, fattest cheeks and pink skin. My sister is preparing to take the treatment for thyroid cancer. Nearly three years into their marriage, they have definitely had their share of difficulty. First a still birth, then a miscarriage. But then Grace. And my sister makes lists of things she is grateful for in spite of her difficulties. And her faith seems so strong still. The thyroid treatment is something to get through, like walking through a hallway. A difficult hallway but to a pleasant room on the other side. I can only wonder how I would respond to the situation. But she is handling it with grace and faith and it is my privilege to be here for one week to help out as needed. Of course, I miss my family and can't wait to see them on Saturday. But it is just a week. And I am blessed by Grace made visible.
Another blessing to me is the re-reading of that wonderful classic, Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I loaned out my two copies and haven't looked at it in a couple of years. A couple of passages have really jumped out at me and I quote them here. Keep in mind that the narrator is a devil and the Enemy to whom he refers is God:
"The Enemy allows this disappointment to occur on the threshold of every human endeavour....In every department of life it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing. The Enemy takes this risk because He has a curious fantasy of making all these disgusting little human vermin into what He calls His "free" lovers and servants -- "sons" is the word He uses.,.... He therefore refuses to carry them, by their mere affections and habits to any of the goals which He sets efore them: He leaves them to "do it on their own." And there lies our opportunity. But also remember, there lies our danger. If once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion and therefore much harder to tempt."
And that is a much-needed reminder to me as my husband and I struggle with our transition to life in Virginia. It hasn't been fun and wonderful. Work has been hard. The Catholic culture in the area is minimal and very different than what we are used to. But the fact remains that it is an excellent opportunity for my husband, and there are Catholic churches in the area. Who said faith was going to easy? Not Christ nor any of his followers.
More on this great book later. But today I am grateful for C.S. Lewis, Grace, my sister, my family and my husband in particular.