From a personal letter, giving words of wisdom from my little Soaf a loaf:
In your younger grandchildren's typical wide-eyed excited manner of telling things, with her precious childish lisp she said to them:
"I finally know de secwet to being good in chuwch! – twy!! It's so much easier to be good when you twy!"
This afternoon I found myself in a situation where it was very hard to be good (and in fact I wasn't being very good. As I was praying and struggling to gain better self control, I thought of your little granddaughter's profound discovery and, inspired, I decided to "Twy!!!
I think Sophie is just expressing in a simple way the words she hears every weekend:
What man is there that desireth life, who loveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 33:12-13, Sept “Boston” Psalter)
Priest Seraphim Holland 2011 St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas
This article is at:
http://www.orthodox.net/journal/2011-11-08+key-to-living-a-good-life-you-have-to-twy.html
http://www.orthodox.net/journal/2011-11-08+key-to-living-a-good-life-you-have-to-twy.doc
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How cute is that!!! And profound! Truly words of wisdom! May God ever bless Sophie all her life!!!
Sophie sure lives up to her name. Once you try, it is indeed a whole lot easier to be good. It's getting to the point of trying that's so hard.
When I am not trying it's either because I'm unaware that I've quit trying to be good—or, worse, I don't care that I'm not trying to be good. It's a combination of mindlessness, sloth and pride that keep me from trying.
Once I realize that i am not trying, I have to find the motivation to want to try. This only comes through prayer and confession. Only through admitting that I don't want to try, and that this is sin, do I receive the help to want to try, again. And then the rest is easy–or easier…
It's a simple process—so simple that even a child can figure it out and do it. But it's also hard—so hard that even a middle-aged woman, with years of trying behind her, still struggles to do it.