Sunday, March 04, 2007

Victor


'Emergencies have always been necessary to progress. It was darkness which produced the lamp. It was fog that produced the compass. It was hunger that drove us to exploration. And it took a depression to teach us the real value of a job.

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."
(Victor Hugo 1802-85)

I walked by his house today........and this is my prayer as i try and lay my head down this stormy night

18 comments:

Anna said...

I love this...I will be sleeping more sound tonight after this reminder. Thanks!

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

i hope i will too

have wlked past this state for years but never noticed it or photographed it

glad i did

awareness said...

Looks like Hugo is walking briskly doing the thinking thing......!

hope the storm is passing, friend.

sleep always is deeper when one knows and feels His comforting gaze.

Ellen said...

"... and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace."

If only the days were longer or the list shorter.... but then I'm afraid I'd still try to find something to quell the nagging need to get more accomplished. My God seems to be making these long lists.... but thankfully patient and merciful in my mortal space of accomplishment time. For this favor, I am eternally and internally grateful, and sleep well, knowing everything is in good hands no matter what.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

Dana, Yes, I think he may have been a little like that - brisk that is - the statue is in the beautiful Candie Gardens in town - the light was kind so i took it - looked better in sepia than colour though

i agree just haven't felt that pleasure for a while

ellen,
am happy that in the midst of the busyness of life you find that peace, and that you sleep well - i haven't for a long long time
glad you stopped by again

maggi said...

thanks, that is so inspiring. I wrote about being bullied today. You have helped me stay strong.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

my brother was bullied at school, and i remember him sometimes crying at night in his bed....still haunts me even now

god may be awake but sometimes impotent to our struggles....

bluemountainmama said...

Reminds me of Psalm 4:8- "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." I have to claim that verse often. I hope you DID sleep in peace!

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

BBM
You know it's just gone 6am here and i did sleep through for the first time i can remember - must have been some of that mystery called prayer going on....
haven't read that psalm in a while, but i will today

Flower said...

That's lovely..and something to make me thing on a Tuesday morning at work!
I am not sure what Missiology is either....
x

Flower said...

well I meant made me think..but thing is probably about right! My spelling tends to go a bit on blogger!

Society's Elite said...

that post was great... thanks for sharing...

Rainbow dreams said...

and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."

There's comfort in those words... even if sleep is evasive, we are not alone.
Thanks for sharing them

Gigi said...

It was hunger that drove us to exploration.

It is....

Anna said...

Thanks Paul for your nice comment about my post just now....it was a good way to start my day! :)

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

melanie,
don't think i have ever made anyone 'thing' before...glad it helped

Society,
always a pleasure when my rants connect

bjk,
glad there are still a few explorers out there....

anna,
a pleasure - people tend to be very vocal to critique and not so to encourage. It's a good shot

The Meaning Weakened by the Lies said...

Did you know Victor Hugo wrote all of his literature, including Les Mis standing up - he said that if you sat down then your brain was in your bottom.
He was truly a man who understood human suffering, duty and forgiveness.
Too many quotes to even begin.....

sally said...

thank you. as someone who is not sleeping well at the moment, those words are so comforting.