C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) continues to be a very popular Christian author. His writings closely parallel teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bring extra insights and power to principles originated by our Savior.
To a goddaughter, 3 April 1949, he wrote:
…. “If I had come and we had met, I am afraid you might have found me very shy and dull. (By the way always remember that old people can be quite as shy with young people as young people can be with old. This explains what must seem to you the idiotic way in which so many grown-ups talk to you). But I will try to do what I can by letter…
As for… the very serious Christian godfather, I feel very unfit for the work—just as you, I dare say, may feel very unfit for being confirmed and for receiving the Holy Communion. But then an angel would not be really fit and we must all do the best we can. So I suppose I must try to give you advice. And the bit of advice that comes into my head is this; don’t expect (I mean don’t count on and don’t demand) that when you are confirmed, or when you make your first Communion, you will have all the feelings you would like to have. You may, of course: but also you may not. But don’t worry if you don’t get them. They aren’t what matter. The things that are happening to you are quite real things whether you feel as you would wish to or not, just as a meal will do a hungry person good even if he has a cold in the head which will rather spoil the taste. Our Lord will give us right feelings if He wishes—and we must say Thank you. If He doesn’t, then we must say to ourselves (and Him) that He knows best. This, by the way, is one of the very few subjects on which I feel I do know something. For years after I had become a regular communicant I can’t tell you how dull my feelings were and how my attention wandered at the most important moments. It is only in the last year of two that things had begun to come right—which just shows how important it is to keep on doing what you are told.
Oh—I’d nearly forgotten—I have one other piece of advice. Remember that there are only three kinds of things anyone need ever do. (1) Things we ought to do (2) Things we’ve got to do (3) Things we like doing. I say this because some people seem to spend so much of their time for none of the three reasons, things like reading books they don’t like because other people read them. Things you ought to do are things like doing one’s school work or being nice to people. Things one has got to do are things like dressing and undressing, or household shopping. Things one likes doing—but of course I don’t know what you like….
Of course I always mention you in my prayers and will most especially on Saturday. Do the same for me.
Your affectionate godfather
C.S. Lewis
From ‘The Essential C. S. Lewis”, A Touchstone Book published by Simon & Schuster 1996, ‘Letters to Children’ p. 525-6
Note from k… I have been in the habit of posting mostly every other day. Now that I am addressing two audiences I’ll be posting more often. Posts with an asterisk in the title and first line are for a wider audience.
The continuation of yesterday’s post originating from Elder Russell M. Nelson’s conference talk or October 2011, will appear tomorrow.
k
