A Lesson on Aslan and Generosity: 2 Apples, 2 Worlds

Toward the end of their time in Narnia, Aslan offers Digory an apple from the most beautiful tree in the land, the Tree of Youth. He instructs Digory to take the apple back home to London, to give it to his mother, and to witness her miraculous healing. Digory does just that, and over the few weeks to come she slowly heals completely and lives years longer than the family expected.

Aslan brought healing and provision through an apple.

A few years ago, he did the same for us.

We had just moved to a new town, and as safe as our neighborhood seemed, trouble still walked the street one night. We got back late from a wedding, and went to bed without unpacking the car. The next morning, Sunday, I went out to grab our suitcases, laptops, and all the other things we needed to unload. The doors were open and the car was empty.

Photos, documents, music, memories, completely gone.

Travis’ Chacos. All of my makeup.

And the most stressful realization, that we had lost an entire presentation we were to give that following week.

Flustered and deeply heartbroken, we struggled to trust God. We wavered between running to Best Buy and purchasing something cheap that would last for a short time, or waiting to see if he would provide. Our Aslan would surely come to our rescue.

We got to Oklahoma that Wednesday and presented to the youth group, a talk on God’s heart for justice. Travis spoke and I sang. The youth pastor, a dear family friend, prayed for us, mentioning that many of our belongings had just been stolen the weekend before.

In that moment, God planted the seed.

A young couple from the church, Courtney and Andrew, made a decision.

They were going to give us the apple–not just any apple, now. An Apple.

We discussed the matter over many gracious tears and hugs and sweet, sweet words. We watched as strangers brought us close, bought us a brand new Mac, and ordered extra programs to go along with it.

We laid in bed that night, hardly believing what God had done. We giggled, trying to understand that goodness. Really? Did that just happen?! 

Perhaps our friends knew that they were simply obeying, and certainly, they were. Perhaps what they did not realize is that they had brought healing and provision.

Today I was rocking Jon Eliot to sleep in his room, thinking about the last few chapters I had just finished of The Magician’s Nephew. I’ve never really read the Narnia series, so every word and action of Aslan is fresh on my eyes and in my mind, reflecting the complete love of the Father, and the fullness of his desire to provide for his children.

It’s been two years, and we still remember every summer how this Apple brought us healing in a dark hour. In a way that only God, our Aslan, can understand, it brought some life to our brokenness, fresh life-giving fruit from an unknown and beautiful Land.