My burden was great.  It seemed like, once again, the battle would be lost.  Someone was on my heart, and I had fought for their soul.  Things were looking dismal.  It was a Saturday in October, two years ago, as I sat in the empty hall of the school where my husband teaches. 

The story from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader flashed through my mind.  In C.S. Lewis’s book, Lucy is in despair.  The ship she and her friends were on was trapped.  They could not get away from a dark island.  The sailors were rowing, but everything was bleak and hopeless as nothing changed.  They realized they would never get away.  Lucy crawled up into the crow’s nest.  She whispered something like, “Aslan, if you’ve ever helped us, help us now!”

All alone that day, I found I understood the blackness and despair.  I whispered to God, “If you’ve ever helped us, help us now!”

I wish I could say that what happened next in my battle was the same thing that happened to the Dawn Treader—that the clouds parted, the sun shone through, and the ship came out of the darkness!  My battle went on. 

This story has kept popping up in my mind.  Last year, once again I was thinking about Lucy sitting up in the crow’s nest, watching destruction to those she loved and of nightmares coming true.  I was with my family, and no one knew of my despairing thoughts.

During this trip, we decided to stop at Hallmark since they were going out of business.  Who knew what sales we might find?

Meandering down the aisles, a decorative sign grabbed me.  “Courage, dear heart.-C.S. Lewis” it said.  Courage, dear heart?  I knew what that was from!  In the story where Lucy is up in the crow’s nest, before any of the dark clouds lifted, before they found their way out, before the victory…Lucy heard these words.  She had whispered, “If you’ve ever helped us, help us now!”

The answer had been whispered back, “Courage, dear heart.”

I guess it was on sale.  But it really doesn’t matter.  If you come to my house, you will see in the kitchen the saying that I feel like God sent as a personal message to ME, “Courage, dear heart.”  My mind had been on the dark island in The Voyage of Dawn Treader, and God wanted to make sure I remembered the important words that helped bring the victory!

I will take courage today!  I will hope in the God of my salvation.  I will lift my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.  I will comfort my heart with the strength of the Lord of hosts!