On Trust in God
We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to his providence, in a delightful consciousness of his tender mercies; we no longer seek for anything and our whole being reposes in him. No more restless uncertainties, no more anxious desires, no more impatience to change our place — the place where we are is God’s bosom — for it is God who has put us there with his own hands, and he who holds us in his arms. Can we be unsafe where he has placed us, and where he guards us like a child who is held and caressed by his mother? Let us leave all to him, let us rest in him. This confiding repose, in which earthly care sleeps, is the true vigilance of the heart. Yielding itself up to God, with no other support than him, it thus watches while we sleep.
Francois Fenelon, from Spiritual Letters
Francois Fenelon (1651-1715) was a leader in Christian spirituality in 17th century France. He was a close associate of the spiritual writer, Madame Jeanne Guyon, and a leading proponent of the so-called Quietist movement. But he was also Archbishop of Cambrai in the Roman Catholic church. These associations drew him into a conflict that ultimately resulted in his internal exile and the burning of many of his writings. Fenelon emphasized the life of Christ in each believer and the Christian life being lived out of an active love for God.