Chapter 4 Summary

In chapter four, Much-Afraid and the Shepherd began their walk to the High Places early in the morning. Much-Afraid comments on the wild flowers they walk past and how she has always wondered why such beautiful flowers would grow in a place that most people would not see them. The Shepherd shares with Much-Afraid that nothing he and the Father have created is ever wasted, and that the greatest victories humans accomplish are those that no one else knows about.

They walked down to a river and Much-Afraid asked if the Great Shepherd knows what the rushing water is singing. The Shepherd smiled and then Much-Afraid slowly started to hear and understand what the water was saying. Much-Afraid realizes that the water is singing about the joy of going lower, but this confused her as the Shepherd was helping her to go higher to the high places. The Shepherd explained that the joy of having hinds feet is to be able to receive the power from the High Places so that you can pour yourself out in the low places. The Shepherd also explained to Much-Afraid that the reason she is able to start understanding the language of the water is because of the seed of love he planted in her heart, and that as that love grows more and more in her heart so will her understanding.

As Much-Afraid and the Great Shepherd continued on their walk, Much Afraid asks the Shepherd why she has to go with guides and he can’t just stay with her the whole way up to the High Places.

The Shepherd explains that he could take her all the way up, but if he did that she would never develop hinds feet and would never be able to live in the Kingdom of Love, because she needs to take the journey with the companions he has chosen in order for love to grow in her heart. Then Much-Afraid sees the veiled women that the Great Shepherd has chosen to be her companions and learns that their names are Sorrow and Suffering. Much-Afraid is terrified of sorrow and suffering and tells the Shepherd that she can’t go with them. The Great Shepherd asks her if she will still trust him and go with these companions or if she will choose to go back to the valley of humiliation. Much-Afraid decides that she cannot go back and must choose to trust the Great Shepherd and go with Sorrow and Suffering.

Chapter 4 Thoughts:

The river song is one of my favourite parts of this book. We learn in this chapter that the seed of Love planted in her heart is why Much-Afraid can understand the language of the rushing water for the first time. As the seed of love grows in her heart, so does her understanding of the world of Love.

“Come, oh come! let us away—
Lower, lower every day,
Oh, what joy it is to race
Down to find the lowest place.
This is the dearest law we know—
‘It is happy to go low.’
Sweetest urge and sweetest will,
‘Let us go down lower still.’
Hear the summons night and day
Calling us to come away.
From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below.
Always answering to the call,
To the lowest place of all.
Sweetest urge and sweetest pain,
To go low and rise again.” pg. 23

I love the paradox of Much-Afraid seeing the water so joyful to go low while she is working so hard to get away from the low places. It is true though, that we cannot be Christ’s hands and feet in the low places until we live in the kingdom of Love. We cannot do something for others that we have never experienced.

We also learn that Much-Afraid must take this journey with the companions the Shepherd has chosen in order for the seed of love to grow the way that it needs to, which means that her time with Sorrow and Suffering will be necessary for her to grow in love. Much-afraid’s response to meeting Sorrow and Suffering reminds me of my own preference for avoiding sorrow and suffering in life. How many times have I also wondered “why?” when sorrow or suffering meet me along my path and I have to trust that God is in control. Much-Afraid is focused on what is right in front of her, but the Great Shepherd is focused on the final destination. He knows what she needs to experience to get there, and to go through the transformation she needs to go through.

Is there an area in your life right now where you feel God calling you to trust him? Where you can’t see where things will end up but He does?

I am excited to continue following along on Much-Afraid’s journey with you and I hope it is as encouraging to you as it is to me. I would love to hear what stood out to you as you read or listened to this chapter if you have the time to comment below or send a message.

-Nadine

Hinds Feet on High Places Summary and Thoughts - Chapter 4

Hinds Feet on High Places Summary and Thoughts - Chapter 3