「耶和華的手在那裡臨到我身上；祂對我說，你起來，出到平原去，我要在那裡和你說話。」－以西結書3:22
使徒保羅剛蒙主厲害的呼召，正燃燒著為主傳福音的熊熊烈火，但神卻差遣他往亞拉伯的曠野三年之久。
當他正準備前往敘利亞，使更多外邦人信靠基督，神卻說：「在你往敘利亞去之前，我先要在你身上看見信靠的實際。」
我的境遇不如保羅的波折，但意義卻是一樣的。
當我以為文學的大門已經向我敞開，歡迎我全心投入；醫生卻在這時候說：「不能！她必須放棄寫作，才能繼續存活下去。」
那是1860年的時候。到了1869年，我終於走出寂靜，發表了一本「教牧詩集」。我才了解主智慧的帶領，了解祂使我在死蔭的幽谷沈寂9年的原因。
神的愛是不會改變的；不論我們有否感覺到祂的愛，祂都是一樣的愛我們。
然而祂的慈愛總是伴隨著祂的引領。
雖然有時祂取去了我們的歡笑，有時祂也放慢我們進步的速度，但只有祂知道什麼最適合我們、最能讓我們成熟，並且知道如何完成祂盼望在我們身上所成就的工作。－海弗格爾（註）的回憶錄
- 編按：
91首－祂不能救自己
168首－主耶穌當我們想到你
304首－從我活出你的自己
331首－為你我流寶血
334首－絕對分別出來
339首－主你得著我一生
350首－誰是在主這邊
528首－暗過必明亮
"And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth unto the plain, and I will there talk with thee" (Ezek. 3:22).Did you ever hear of any one being much used for Christ who did not have some special waiting time, some complete upset of all his or her plans first; from St. Paul's being sent off into the desert of Arabia for three years, when he must have been boiling over with the glad tidings, down to the present day?
You were looking forward to telling about trusting Jesus in Syria; now He says, "I want you to show what it is to trust Me, without waiting for Syria."
My own case is far less severe, but the same in principle, that when I thought the door was flung open for me to go with a bound into literary work, it is opposed, and doctor steps in and says, simply, "Never! She must choose between writing and living; she can't do both."
That was in 1860. Then I came out of the shell with "Ministry of Song" in 1869, and saw the evident wisdom of being kept waiting nine years in the shade. God's love being unchangeable, He is just as loving when we do not see or feel His love. Also His love and His sovereignty are co-equal and universal; so He withholds the enjoyment and conscious progress because He knows best what will really ripen and further His work in us. --Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal
