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Showing posts with label There and Back. Show all posts
Showing posts with label There and Back. Show all posts

Friday, June 27, 2025

George MacDonald and the God of Patience

I'm a big fan of George MacDonald (so were G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis). Recently I came across a quote from MacDonald's novel, There and Back:

"God is the God of patience, and waits and waits for the child who keeps him waiting and will not open the door."

The novel is a fascinating study of family life, unhappy marriage, sacrificial love, friendship, rejection, regret.... If you want a thought-provoking story about life and character, read it. Take it on vacation. Let the sound of the waves, like the heartbeat of the earth, be the background music for your thoughts. Seeing the quote reminded me of the novel which can be read or downloaded online. (Go here.) 

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving from Me and George MacDonald!


First things first.

We went to Mass early this morning to thank the Giver of all our gifts. Eucharist means thanksgiving so it is the perfect start to a day giving thanks. We prayed for all our dear ones near and far including everyone whose life has touched ours. That includes you if you are reading this message. May God bless and keep you this Thanksgiving Day and every day of the year.

We are united because we share the same Father God. He loves all His children, even the ones who don't know him. If you don't know Him yet, we are praying for you especially today. And here's a quote from George MacDonald's book, There and Back, from a delightful little character named Barbara, who doesn't know him yet, but sees his fingerprints all around her and longs to know Him. May you share that longing:
Just Fancy!...if God were all the time at our backs, giving us one lovely thing after another, trying to make us look round and see who it was that was so good to us! Imagine him standing there, and wondering when his little one would look round, and see him, and burst out laughing -- no not laughing -- yes, laughing -- and laughing with delight -- or crying, I don't know which! If I had him to love as I should love one like that, I think I should break my heart with loving -- I should love him to the killing of me!
Many of the saints loved him that way and burned out like candles in serving Him. What a blessing to be like them. Make me a burning furnace of charity, Lord!