The Gospel in Narnia II

I love this encounter between Aslan and Jill in The Silver Chair.  She has encountered Aslan the Lion and He is standing in front of a stream of water.  She is dying of thirst, but terrified by the presence of this Lion.

The exchange begins with these words...
"If you're thirsty, you may drink."

The encounter continues...

"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
May I --could I--would you mind going away while i do?" said Jill.
  The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl.  And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked for the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. 
    The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
    "Will you promise not to--do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
    "I make no promise," said the Lion.
     Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
    "Do you eat girls?" she said.
    "I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion.  It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry.  It just said it.
    "I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
    "Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
    "Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer.  "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
    "There is no other stream," said the Lion.

The sense of awe, the "fear of God," is captured in this exchange.  There is but one source of living water, Jesus.  But we cannot control Him.  He has overseen the downfall of empires. And yet, he says "come."  

He will not move for us, He will not change to make us more comfortable.  But He will and does provide us with the living water, the Gospel.   We may not come on our own terms, but we come at His bidding.

You gotta love these "children's" books!