Vision to Reality - Facing the Giant

So now what? This is the difficult part. I see and for the most part understand the problem. That's the easy part. It's what to do next that is the difficult part. The problem exists on so many levels in our society that it is nigh impossible to tackle it all. It deals with institutions and views that are ingrained into our society and that have been a part of this culture and environment for over a century. How do you break the backbone of a century's old view and mentality that pervades an entire culture, society, and world? How do you tackle something that is so far encompassing that it invades us in every area that we live? It is defined in how we work, what we do in our "spare" time, how we live, how & what we eat, what we teach our kids, how our kids learn, our own expectations, what we see and invades our home. How does one even pretend to tackle this problem without being destroyed by it?

There are individuals, families, and even entire communities that have seen these problems for a long time and instead of fighting it have separated themselves from the problem and the society that it pervades. At times they have become outsiders looking in critically and rejecting our society as a whole, or they just don't even care and would rather be their own entity and allow the rest of society slowly destroy itself while they go on living their own lives. I can understand it, and in a way it is a very awe inspiring view to see the battle against the onslaught of outside forces. However, it does so little to actually create the change that needs to occur.

So how do you fight a battle that is so much larger than yourself that you can't even see & comprehend the vastness of it? How do you fell a giant that encompasses a planet in the face of a people that doesn't even recognize that the giant exists, that may only see a finger or toe of the giant and attempts to fight only that part, or that don't even understand that the giant is a problem? The answer is that one person alone can't... but then we never really are alone, are we?
II Kings 6:1-23 especially vs. 16 "And he answered, Do not fear, for those with us are more than those with them."

Image from andyburnfield used under cc license.

Feast Without Famine is Gluttony. Famine Without Feast Brings Drudgery.

It amazes me sometimes how much a person grows and matures in difficulties. So often we want things to be easy. We want to have things given to us. We don't want to have the difficulties, and yet... that is the only way that we can grow. With troubles and trials comes growth. With problems and adversity comes the potential for maturity. When everything we want is handed to us, we tend to grow lax and uncaring. It is only when we go through the hard times that we can learn to understand and appreciate the good times.

A speaker in Bible college used this analogy once and i thought it was fitting. When the trials come flooding in. It can be a very difficult time. When you are surrounded by the flood waters of trials and troubles it tends to show what you are really made of. The difficult times come and we seek God. We go through the hardships and look to Him because we can't do it alone. He in turn works in us strengthening us and sweeping away the built up junk. When the flood waters subside and everything returns to normal, that is when the real trials begin. During that time of flood new seed is brought in. New growth occurs, and we have the potential to grow in new and stronger ways. However it is during the good times, the easy times, the seeds that the flood brings in sprout into new life and the potential really begins.

What do we do when we are in the easy times. How do we handle it when the times are good. Who or what do we become with the seeds that were planted in hardship. It takes work to make growth, but it is easy to fall into lax when the going is no longer tough. So what are we, what am i doing with what i have been given?

Image from [beta] used under cc license.