These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Seeking Self vs. Seeking The Lord

The following quotes are from The Last Battle, which is Book #7 in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis.

The point of these quotes and this piece of poetry is to highlight to each of us that self-centeredness loses the Self and all it holds dear. Looking outward toward The Savior gains what we could never grasp in this life and in Eternity.

“That’s right,” said the other Dwarfs. “We’re on our own now. No more Aslan, no more Kings, no more silly stories about other worlds. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs.”

“They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.”

There is the possibility of real loss."

https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/the-last-battle-the-end-of-the-beginni...

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"I said, Lord, 'Thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days.'

"'Beloved,' said the Glorious One, 'unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.'”

https://bookroo.com/quotes/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-last-battle

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These small-hearted souls are only for themselves,
and bound to self they are,
but those, who seek God's Glory, true,
will shine like living stars.
(Daniel 12:3, KJV)

The silly dwarfs in losing faith
no God, no king, no way to see.
No hope beyond themselves of grace,
"The dwarfs are for the dwarfs." Just me.

As Aslan speaks in saddest Truth,
"They will not let us help them," now.
"They choose their minds, not hope of youth
in the prison of their minds they bow.

"They're so afraid of being taken in,
they cannot be taken out," and freed
"In that state, they can never win,
the possibility of real loss, indeed."

But those, who seek through hopeless days,
so driven by desire
at last in Truth desire may
lead them to The Higher.

The fearful soul with heart so rent
confesses, "Lord You know,
that I have for the false been spent,
the goal, down here, below.

"'Beloved,' says the Glorious One,
'Desire is thine for me.
Thou soughtest long and truly, son.
I've drawn you here to free."
(John 6:37,44, KJV)

"For all find what they truly seek,
and I am truly sought.
At last I've made thee ever meek,
a possession I have bought."

To grasp within we lose the best.
We claw and grab in vain.
To reach for Christ through ev'ry test,
we're healed in earthly pain.

To seek within salvation rare
we find, that we are lost,
but when we hope in Jesus' Care
we find He's paid the cost.

by Jay O’Toole
on August 18th, 2023