To be one of God's lilies ...

To be one of God's lilies means an interior abandonment of the rarest kind. It means that we are to be infinitely passive, and yet infinitely active also; passive as regards self and its workings, active as regards attention and response to God. It is very hard to explain this so as to be understood But it means that we must lay down all the activity of the creature, as such, and must let only the activities of God work in us, and through us, and by us. Self must step aside, to let God work.
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith

Quotes from the same author

For the mother is and must be, whether she knows it or not, the greatest, strongest and most lasting teacher her children have.
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith
The mother eagle teachers her little ones to fly by making their nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave it and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. An just so does our God to us.
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith
The mother eagle teaches her little ones to fly by making their nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave it and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. And just so does our God to us. He stirs up our comfortable nests, and pushes us over the edge of them, and we are forced to use our wings to save ourselves from fatal falling. Read your trials in this light, and see if you cannot begin to get a glimpse of their meaning. Your wings are being developed.
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith
If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one. There is no fun for old people like it!
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith
Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you don't want.
 See image
 Hannah Whitall Smith