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Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Troughs and Peaks

"...in His effort to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even more that on the peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else.
...He leaves the creature to stand up on its legs--to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be...He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every taste of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."

-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

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