I've always been captivated by children's literature. I find it refreshing, powerful, and pointedly true. Years ago I discovered the fairy tales of George MacDonald. One of his stories still stands out in my mind.
It's called "The Day Boy and the Night Girl."
It's called "The Day Boy and the Night Girl."
Some of the details of the fairy tale are lost to my memory, but the image behind the story is beautiful. What's more, the image speaks truth into my life today.
The fairy tale focuses on a young boy and a young girl who fall deeply in love. But (as is always true in fairy tales!) there is a problem. The boy is brave and courageous during the day, but fearful and helpless at night. The girl, however, is brave and courageous during the night, but fearful and helpless in the day.
He cannot bear the darkness. And she cannot bear the daylight. It appears to be a terrible tragedy - until it dawns on them how well they fit together. When she is helpless during the day, he can care for her. And when he is helpless at night, she can be his strength.
When I think of that beautiful story, I think of how life can be. The relationship of the day boy and the night girl parallels relationships that we all have. Sometimes I am strong - and those around me are weak. Other times, those around me are strong - and I am weak. And in all of those times, we have the high privilege of bearing burdens for each other.
My life is a mixture of confidence and doubt, strength and weakness, courage and fear. I know that - and I live that. What I struggle with, though, is how to handle those ups and downs.
So I'm drawn to the lesson of the day boy and the night girl.
Weak or strong, we need each other. There is simply no way to make it on our own.
The fairy tale focuses on a young boy and a young girl who fall deeply in love. But (as is always true in fairy tales!) there is a problem. The boy is brave and courageous during the day, but fearful and helpless at night. The girl, however, is brave and courageous during the night, but fearful and helpless in the day.
He cannot bear the darkness. And she cannot bear the daylight. It appears to be a terrible tragedy - until it dawns on them how well they fit together. When she is helpless during the day, he can care for her. And when he is helpless at night, she can be his strength.
When I think of that beautiful story, I think of how life can be. The relationship of the day boy and the night girl parallels relationships that we all have. Sometimes I am strong - and those around me are weak. Other times, those around me are strong - and I am weak. And in all of those times, we have the high privilege of bearing burdens for each other.
My life is a mixture of confidence and doubt, strength and weakness, courage and fear. I know that - and I live that. What I struggle with, though, is how to handle those ups and downs.
So I'm drawn to the lesson of the day boy and the night girl.
Weak or strong, we need each other. There is simply no way to make it on our own.