Fear Not, Much-Afraid

The shepherd answered Much-Afraid: "Fear not, Much-Afraid, only believe. I promise that you shall not be put to shame. Go with [these companions] Sorrow and Suffering, and if you cannot welcome them now, when you come to the difficult places where you cannot manage alone, put your hands in theirs confidently and they will take you exactly where I want you to go."

Much-Afraid stood quite still, looking up into his face, which now had such a happy exultant look, the look of one who above all things else delights in saving and delivering. In her heart the words of a hymn, written by another of the Shepherd's followers, began to run through her mind and she started to sing softly and sweetly:

Let Sorrow do its work, send grief or pain;
Sweet are thy messengers sweet their refrain.
If they but work in me, more love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee, more love to thee.

Each time she shrinkingly took hold of the hand of either Sorrow or Suffering a pang went through her, but once their hands were grasped she found they had amazing strength, and seemed to pull and even lift her upwards and over places which she would have considered utterly impossible to reach.

"Hinds' Feet On High Places," by Hannah Hurnard