When I get down about my quest I ask myself if I'm just living in a fantasy; believing that I can create from nothing - something - especially when it seems that all of the experts tell me it is, if not impossible, then, improbable. But faith tells me to believe even when it's hard to believe.
A story that came to mind when I was thinking about the fine line between faith and fantasy is the one about a religious man who was caught in his house during a flood.
The water quickly rose from just an inch or two to the point where it was rushing around his ankles. He prayed fervently, "God please save me." Soon thereafter his neighbors came by in a truck and told him to come with them to safety. He said, "No thanks, God will save me."
As the flood waters got higher and more forceful he climbed the stairs to the second floor. A man in a boat came by and offered to take him to safety. He declined, telling the man "God will save me."
Soon the man found himself up to his neck in water and made his way out onto the roof. After a time a rescue helicopter appeared overhead and a man dropped down a rope ladder. Even though the water was threatening to carry him away the man waved the helicopter off, "I'm a man of faith. God will save me!"
Finally, the man drowned.
Next thing he knew, he was in heaven, where he was greeted by God. "Why didn't you save me?" he asked God. "I tried," God answered, "I sent your neighbors, I sent a boat, and I sent a helicopter!"
To me this story represents that fine line between faith and fantasy. The man's faith was strong. He knew the power of prayer. It wasn't a fantasy to believe that God could save him. But he got stuck on how exactly God should save him. The fantasy was that he was only open to one way for God to help him - his way.
I guess what I need to stay focused on is that there is power in prayer. I just need to be open to, and ready for, whatever God's answer to that prayer is, even if it isn't how I picture it. When God is trying to help me I can either sit idly by waiting for what I have in mind to occur, or take advantage of what God has in mind and what He presents me with.
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