Three kinds of souls, three prayers: 1) I am a bow in your hands, Lord. Draw me, lest I rot. 2) Do not overdraw me, Lord. I shall break. 3) Overdraw me, Lord, and who cares if I break.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Three prayers describe a soul’s relationship with God: pleading to be used, warning against overuse, and daring to be broken.
- In plain terms
- It reflects different attitudes toward being used by a higher power.
- What can you take from it?
- Balance willingness to serve with self‑preservation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is it healthy to give yourself fully?
- How do you recognize overextension?
Another view
The metaphor may not fit all spiritual views.
More from Nikos Kazantzakis
Every man worthy of being called a son of man bears his cross and mounts his Golgotha. Many, indeed most, reach the first or second step, collapse pantingly in…
Permalink to quote #137 General, the battle draws to a close and I make my report. This is where and how I fought. I fell wounded, lost heart, but did not desert. Though my teeth clat…
Permalink to quote #139 My entire soul is a cry, and all my work the commentary on that cry.
Permalink to quote #136
Related quotes
Considering that the blessed life we so long for consists in an intimate and true love of God Our Creator and Lord, which binds and obliges us all to a sincere…
Ignatius of LoyolaIgnatius of Loyola quote #7 When you don't see Jesus for exactly what he was, you miss the whole point of the Jesus Prayer. If you don't understand Jesus, you can't understand his prayer …
J. D. SalingerJ. D. Salinger quote #17 Quoting an unnamed writer: 'To this day,' she writes, 'I cannot understand dallying with religion and the commandments of God. The very instant I heard my Fath…
William JamesWilliam James quote #61