"There is within you a lion and a lamb," wrote Henri Nouwen. "Spiritual maturity is the ability to let lamb and lion lie down together." The lion is the image of the part of yourself that is strong and resourceful and responsible. The lion makes choices, acts quickly, and is wise in the ways of the world. The lamb is the vulnerable part of yourself that is afraid, dependent, in need of love and support. The lamb knows what it is like to cling to God. To live in only the lion or the lamb denies the important gift of the other.

Jane Vennard, Praying with Body and Soul