Well, anyway, I looked up and saw the very last thing I expected: a huge lion coming slowly toward me. And one queer thing was that there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. You may think that, being a dragon, I could have knocked any lion out easily enough. But it wasn't that kind of fear. I wasn't afraid of it eating me, I was just afraid of it-if you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked straight into my eyes. And I shut my eyes tight. But that wasn't any good because it told me to follow it.
And I knew I'd have to do what it told me, so I got up and followed it. And it led me a long way into the mountains. And there was always this moonlight over and round the lion wherever we went. So at last we came to the top of the mountain I'd never seen before and on the top of this mountain there was a garden-trees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it there was a well. I knew it was a well because you could see the water bubbling up from the bottom of it: but it was a lot bigger than most wells-like a very big, round bath with marble steps going down into it. The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first.
I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.
But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I have another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.
Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.
Then the lion said "You will have to let me undress you" I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know-if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away. Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off-just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt-and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been.
And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me-I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on-and thew me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I'd saw why. I'd turned into a boy again.
After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me in new clothes.
-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Chapter 7
I've been trying to remove my dragon skin sin by my own strength but only You can peel back the sin. Only You can wash me clean.
I doubt You were born anywhere near December 25th but that isn't the point of Christmas. It isn't about being archaeologically correct, although me and the western world would like to be. The point is You came to save us. You clothed yourself in our skin, You came to our level and You washed our sins and healed our sick.
It's crazy to think You were only 8 years older than I am now when You gave up Your life for us. 33, That isn't very old.
Jesus I love who You are. I know I say this all the time but my first idea of God was a harsh distant Father demanding too much and never satisfied with me. But the more I read Your heart. The more I seek, and knock, The more I see that You are love!
Through and through You are love. You love Your children, all of them. The blind, the greedy, the lost, the homeless, the proud, the forgotten, the ugly, the orphan. You seriously love them. You seriously love us.
Even when we've been dragons You still want to see Your children well. You still want to help us remove the sin and wash us clean. Even if we try to do it without You. Your patience, Your grace, Your love. It's too much, but it's who You are.
I find myself beside Peter asking You to wash my whole body. But You have already made us clean we need only our feet washed.
Sitting back and allowing the creator of the universe to wash my feet takes some serious humility and acceptance of grace.
Thank You for Christmas, whenever it was and whatever others call it. Thank You for willingly giving up Your life so that we may have life.
And I knew I'd have to do what it told me, so I got up and followed it. And it led me a long way into the mountains. And there was always this moonlight over and round the lion wherever we went. So at last we came to the top of the mountain I'd never seen before and on the top of this mountain there was a garden-trees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it there was a well. I knew it was a well because you could see the water bubbling up from the bottom of it: but it was a lot bigger than most wells-like a very big, round bath with marble steps going down into it. The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first.
I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.
But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I have another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.
Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.
Then the lion said "You will have to let me undress you" I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know-if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away. Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off-just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt-and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been.
And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me-I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on-and thew me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I'd saw why. I'd turned into a boy again.
After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me in new clothes.
-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Chapter 7
I've been trying to remove my dragon skin sin by my own strength but only You can peel back the sin. Only You can wash me clean.
I doubt You were born anywhere near December 25th but that isn't the point of Christmas. It isn't about being archaeologically correct, although me and the western world would like to be. The point is You came to save us. You clothed yourself in our skin, You came to our level and You washed our sins and healed our sick.
It's crazy to think You were only 8 years older than I am now when You gave up Your life for us. 33, That isn't very old.
Jesus I love who You are. I know I say this all the time but my first idea of God was a harsh distant Father demanding too much and never satisfied with me. But the more I read Your heart. The more I seek, and knock, The more I see that You are love!
Through and through You are love. You love Your children, all of them. The blind, the greedy, the lost, the homeless, the proud, the forgotten, the ugly, the orphan. You seriously love them. You seriously love us.
Even when we've been dragons You still want to see Your children well. You still want to help us remove the sin and wash us clean. Even if we try to do it without You. Your patience, Your grace, Your love. It's too much, but it's who You are.
I find myself beside Peter asking You to wash my whole body. But You have already made us clean we need only our feet washed.
Sitting back and allowing the creator of the universe to wash my feet takes some serious humility and acceptance of grace.
Thank You for Christmas, whenever it was and whatever others call it. Thank You for willingly giving up Your life so that we may have life.