Hinds Feet on High Places Summary and Thoughts - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 Summary
In chapter five, Much-Afraid quickly learns that she needs the help of Sorrow and Suffering. She found that they have amazing strength and are able to lift her up the mountain on paths she would never have been able to make on her own. We also learn that when the Fearing family heard that Much-Afraid had left with the Great Shepherd to journey to the High Places, they sent her relative Pride to find her and convince her to give up on her journey and head back to the valley of her own free will. Much-Afraid is so surprised that her distant relative Pride is talking to her that she allows him to grab her hand, and by the time she realizes his motives are to convince her to give up on her journey, she can’t pull away from his grip. Much-Afraid calls for the Great Shepherd, who immediately appears and hits Pride with his staff, causing Pride to fall back and run away in fear. The Shepherd reminds Much-Afraid that if she was holding the hands of Sorrow and Suffering when Pride appeared, he would have never been able to grab her hand like that. The chapter ends with Much-Afraid extending her hands to Sorrow and Suffering willingly for the first time.
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10
Chapter 5 Thoughts:
Sorrow and Suffering are very efficient at helping Much-Afraid up the mountain when she holds their hands, but it also causes her pain. When Pride shows up, Much-Afraid wasn’t holding Sorrow and Suffering’s hands because it was an easier part of the path and she thought she didn’t need them, but it left the door open for Pride.
In our own lives, when we allow pride a voice, it will fight against sorrow and suffering at all costs. It will say we should take the easy road and avoid anything that could cost us. It tells us to stay in our little cottage, to shut ourselves off from love and trust only in ourselves. Pride prevents us from healing and growing, and it will always turn us away from the path Christ is leading us down. Pride will always lead us away from love, but suffering and sorrow will lead us to love when we allow it to.
“She learned in this way the first important lesson on her journey upward, that if one stops to parley with Pride and listens to his poisonous suggestions and, above all, if he is allowed to lay his grasp upon any part of one, Sorrow becomes unspeakably more unbearable afterwards and anguish of heart has bitterness added to it.” Pg. 32
Much-Afraid’s sorrow and suffering deepened after listening to Pride because he had drawn her away from love and injured her as she pulled away. Pride always comes with collateral damage. It may seem like a small thing that Much-Afraid allowed Pride to grab her hand, but by not holding on to Suffering and Sorrow she was not obeying the Great Shepherd’s instructions. Pride is easily able to find it’s way into our hearts and minds when we are not focused on Christ.
Can you think of any ways in the past that experiencing suffering or sorrow has lead you to experiencing more love?
Can you think of any ways that pride has lead you away from love in the past?
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
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
