One of my jobs is for a farm, selling their produce. I am grateful for it, every day.
I enjoyed this essay, but I am going to add one thing to your theme....
Never count God out.
Preparedness is great, and I do what I can on my hilarious income, but the craze for prepping reminds me a bit of the craze for "how can I Covid-proof myself" in the early pandemic. Which, again: it's great to take supplements and eat healthy and exercise and etc., etc,...
BUT
If God wants me sick, God's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If God wants me immune, God's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If God wants me alive, God's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If God wants me dead, God's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
I think we are all in for many many moments that cannot be prepped for, much less foreseen. And I do not think they are all going to be bad moments.
Michele, thank you for your comment, and I agree completely. There are many reasons God was left out of this essay. Not the least of which is that if you take a savior out of the equation people tend to thrive and grow wiser and stronger on their own.
Suffice to say that your story is about human survival without spiritual intervention. I disagree that "if you take a savior out of the equation people tend to thrive and grow wiser and stronger on their own." Your own story, whether a tribute to God or humanism, will require a savior to keep interest up.
When I used the word savior, it was not in relationship to any deity. Every story needs a hero and a villain. Your hero is the story's savior. I wish you the best. You've made a good start and the final product may need to be preserved inside a sealed jar in a cave for people to read thousands of years from now after society has been rebuilt.
You are 100% correct. Man can only do so much, we can only prepare so much. God is good to us. I have been reading Little House on The Prairie to my grandkids, just like my mom did for me. I remember my grandma, born in 1900, listening along with me and saying "Yes, we did it that way too." So, we aren't too many generations away from potatoes stored in the pump house. But in the end, God has us. My own path has led me to people with like minds and a community I can depend upon, well, me following God's path has me right where I should be and there are no accidents if you are a believer. I am exactly where I should be and WHO I should be. But, I am not stupid either. I can prepare as much as I am able and we all will have different functions in the end. But the critical thinking skeptics might survive Red Dawn...Remember that? The first one, where foreign troops came over the border, disguised as refugees?
In trying to decide if I should take health insurance or submit to a procedure because the doctor says I need to screen, I've decided to forego those things because I feel like God is in control and regardless if I do these things it's not going to matter. He will decide my fate. And besides, very few docs ands no hospitals have your best interest.
We had a guest speaker at church sharing his testimony. The one phrase that stuck with me was that he finally learned that "God's driving the wagon. My job is to sit in the back and shoot the indians." 😍
Everyone won't survive a scenario like presented above because people. But no one will survive unless they strive to be as self-reliant as possible to help themselves and then they can help other like-minded people. Trust will be hard to come by and rightfully so. Afterall it will be life or death conditions every day and every night whether you believe or not.
Theoretical (IMO)
If God wants me sick, God's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If God wants me immune, God's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If God wants me alive, God's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If God wants me dead, God's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
Reality
If Government wants me sick, Government's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If Government wants me immune, Government's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If Government wants me alive, Government's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If Government wants me dead, Government's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
This God you speak of seems extremely unreliable and not trustworthy - not unlike Government. Prepared selfishness will win the day when God and Government are not there for you. Or if it makes anyone feel better, God helps those who help themselves.
Quoting my favorite old Sunday School teacher: "Pray as though it all depends on God. Because it does. Work as though it all depends on you. Because it does." It's a partnership He gave us. We can ignore Him, be lazy and careless, and He'll still love us while we suffer the consequences. We can look to Him for guidance, be industrious and circumspect, and He'll bless us. Anyway, that's been my experience.
Yep...waiting for shit to break and nobody to fix it. Or waiting for city water to be contaminated and undrinkable and everybody to lose their minds. Just one little thing to topple and it will fall like a house of cards.
It's just a story Klaus. ; ) Like Red Dawn, Dr. Zhivago and Survivors BBC 1975.
Seems like references to Hollywood and Television programming rather than actual history are clues as to how we arrived at this discussion. Even when facts are depicted accurately, fictional movies and TV shows (and Substack stories) are mere warnings (effective or not) of potentialities whereas history is examples of actual reality that should be the valued lessons in our learning to survive. People haven't changed that much in a hundred years, have they?
I listened to screenwriter Taylor Sheridan give Joe Rogan a rather deficient synopsis of the American Westward movement. In his opinion, pioneers were starving Europeans who didn’t know what they were in for, what with storms, pestilence, and justifiably hostile indigenous people. Sure, there were multitudes of that type, but I think he forgot about the most American of pioneers: citizens of eastern states who saw their liberties being crowded out by the masses. They went West with their eyes open, flintlocks and muskets primed. They found open land, and they worked like dogs and often died like them while determined to feed and protect their families, build homes, and live in Peace and Liberty. Those tough and resourceful people eventually made good times. Good times made us soft. It’s an inevitable cycle. If we don’t realize that and we fail to prepare and be vigilant, we will surely learn the facts of life the hard way.
One of my jobs is for a farm, selling their produce. I am grateful for it, every day.
I enjoyed this essay, but I am going to add one thing to your theme....
Never count God out.
Preparedness is great, and I do what I can on my hilarious income, but the craze for prepping reminds me a bit of the craze for "how can I Covid-proof myself" in the early pandemic. Which, again: it's great to take supplements and eat healthy and exercise and etc., etc,...
BUT
If God wants me sick, God's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If God wants me immune, God's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If God wants me alive, God's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If God wants me dead, God's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
I think we are all in for many many moments that cannot be prepped for, much less foreseen. And I do not think they are all going to be bad moments.
Michele, thank you for your comment, and I agree completely. There are many reasons God was left out of this essay. Not the least of which is that if you take a savior out of the equation people tend to thrive and grow wiser and stronger on their own.
Suffice to say that your story is about human survival without spiritual intervention. I disagree that "if you take a savior out of the equation people tend to thrive and grow wiser and stronger on their own." Your own story, whether a tribute to God or humanism, will require a savior to keep interest up.
I said there were many reasons Charles. Among them is to reach people who would otherwise quite reading at the first sign of spirituality.
When I used the word savior, it was not in relationship to any deity. Every story needs a hero and a villain. Your hero is the story's savior. I wish you the best. You've made a good start and the final product may need to be preserved inside a sealed jar in a cave for people to read thousands of years from now after society has been rebuilt.
You are 100% correct. Man can only do so much, we can only prepare so much. God is good to us. I have been reading Little House on The Prairie to my grandkids, just like my mom did for me. I remember my grandma, born in 1900, listening along with me and saying "Yes, we did it that way too." So, we aren't too many generations away from potatoes stored in the pump house. But in the end, God has us. My own path has led me to people with like minds and a community I can depend upon, well, me following God's path has me right where I should be and there are no accidents if you are a believer. I am exactly where I should be and WHO I should be. But, I am not stupid either. I can prepare as much as I am able and we all will have different functions in the end. But the critical thinking skeptics might survive Red Dawn...Remember that? The first one, where foreign troops came over the border, disguised as refugees?
Beautiful comment, thank-you!
And yes, I do remember Red Dawn, been wanting to re-watch it what with present times and all....
In trying to decide if I should take health insurance or submit to a procedure because the doctor says I need to screen, I've decided to forego those things because I feel like God is in control and regardless if I do these things it's not going to matter. He will decide my fate. And besides, very few docs ands no hospitals have your best interest.
We had a guest speaker at church sharing his testimony. The one phrase that stuck with me was that he finally learned that "God's driving the wagon. My job is to sit in the back and shoot the indians." 😍
Are you okay?
Everyone won't survive a scenario like presented above because people. But no one will survive unless they strive to be as self-reliant as possible to help themselves and then they can help other like-minded people. Trust will be hard to come by and rightfully so. Afterall it will be life or death conditions every day and every night whether you believe or not.
Theoretical (IMO)
If God wants me sick, God's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If God wants me immune, God's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If God wants me alive, God's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If God wants me dead, God's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
Reality
If Government wants me sick, Government's gonna get me sick--no matter all my precautions.
If Government wants me immune, Government's gonna have me be immune--no matter that I've been hanging with the contagious.
If Government wants me alive, Government's gonna keep me alive--no matter that I have no ammo stockpile, and only 3 cans of beans.
If Government wants me dead, Government's gonna kill me, even as I have food for 2 years and thousands of bullets, am in amazing shape and have a platoon of like-minded friends.
This God you speak of seems extremely unreliable and not trustworthy - not unlike Government. Prepared selfishness will win the day when God and Government are not there for you. Or if it makes anyone feel better, God helps those who help themselves.
Quoting my favorite old Sunday School teacher: "Pray as though it all depends on God. Because it does. Work as though it all depends on you. Because it does." It's a partnership He gave us. We can ignore Him, be lazy and careless, and He'll still love us while we suffer the consequences. We can look to Him for guidance, be industrious and circumspect, and He'll bless us. Anyway, that's been my experience.
Not only it's a great essay but it resonates with my observations of our world, but also agrees with my conclusions. Thanks!
Yep...waiting for shit to break and nobody to fix it. Or waiting for city water to be contaminated and undrinkable and everybody to lose their minds. Just one little thing to topple and it will fall like a house of cards.
"nobody to fix it" - nobody but the Providence will fix it; even the space aliens will not be able to interfere...
This made a scene from Dr Zhivago come to mind...
https://youtu.be/D5ikX1e7TrQ?si=KFM-CPPZV1r4OkNp
Imagine that comrade Susan Clark.
Hope you finished the intruder !!!....🤞
It's just a story Klaus. ; ) Like Red Dawn, Dr. Zhivago and Survivors BBC 1975.
Seems like references to Hollywood and Television programming rather than actual history are clues as to how we arrived at this discussion. Even when facts are depicted accurately, fictional movies and TV shows (and Substack stories) are mere warnings (effective or not) of potentialities whereas history is examples of actual reality that should be the valued lessons in our learning to survive. People haven't changed that much in a hundred years, have they?
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvYueal7vE26mYVUAP00Vs2n-aVLRgtN7&si=Sb4lMF4dLQcBAiAl Survivors BBC 1975. Excellent series and very prescient and apposite for today.
You have tuned in to a prevalent thought that is rocketing around the world. Nice job. Keep your antenna focused.
I listened to screenwriter Taylor Sheridan give Joe Rogan a rather deficient synopsis of the American Westward movement. In his opinion, pioneers were starving Europeans who didn’t know what they were in for, what with storms, pestilence, and justifiably hostile indigenous people. Sure, there were multitudes of that type, but I think he forgot about the most American of pioneers: citizens of eastern states who saw their liberties being crowded out by the masses. They went West with their eyes open, flintlocks and muskets primed. They found open land, and they worked like dogs and often died like them while determined to feed and protect their families, build homes, and live in Peace and Liberty. Those tough and resourceful people eventually made good times. Good times made us soft. It’s an inevitable cycle. If we don’t realize that and we fail to prepare and be vigilant, we will surely learn the facts of life the hard way.
1883
Yes, he’s a gifted writer with the filmography to prove it. I guess when you write drama for a living, historical details need to conform.
❤️
❤️🎯