" …Beyond this place of wrath and
tears
looms but the horror of the shade
and yet the menace of the years
finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how straight the gait,
How charged with punishment the scroll
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul."
A lot of us like that one-thanking whatever Gods
may be for making us tough and then having the good grace to
leave us pretty much alone.
On the whole, it works pretty well and gets us across the
major and minor hurdles. In so far as our blinders shut out
contrary data, it allows us to maintain a very good opinion of
ourselves. But what
do we do for act two? Whence
cometh our help (a little King James there) when the
slings and arrows of outrageous fortune bring home the
incontrovertible fact that, far from being the captain of a
lofty vessel, we are actually no more than a stumbling deckhand
on a small raft? It
happens. It WILL happen and it happens over and over again.
Eventually, the lesson sinks in.
Jim Taylor's prescription is a familiar
one- we've all heard it many times, but the quality of the
messenger has a great deal to do with how well we receive the
message. Those of
us who know him understand that Taylor
is very adept with his chosen tools.
Having been out-shot by him on one or two occasions, I
tend to pay attention when he starts talking guns.
Likewise his deep knowledge of the Bible has short-circuited
more than one of my attempts to re-write various passages
according to my own fuzzy memory.
His application of faith - grounded in study and
reflection - is admirable.
I have seen him in the role of peacemaker, amazed at how
skillfully he can diffuse Internet board cat -fights. Jim
numbers among his friends a large collection of heathens, and
Christians with strong heathenish tendencies. All of them are
people of admirable character and strong talents.
He genuinely likes, respects and is willing to learn from
all of them. He is
free with the kind and encouraging word and when he preaches, he
preaches across and not down.
And so, I recommend, "How Do I Handle
This? Some Answers
for the Battles of Life". Read it and you will absorb
it. You will think
of it again and again. It may not, and probably will not propel
toward instant action but like so many things of value, the
essence of it will
still be there should you find yourself adrift on a small and
rudderless raft.
"How Do I Handle This?
Some Answers for the Battles of Life" is
available for a donation of any amount to:
Christ Chapel
Box 386
Mt.
Vernon MO 65712
I
know that you will enjoy it, and that you will find it
educational and inspirational.
Mike
Cumpston
Got something to say about this article? Want to agree (or
disagree) with it? Click the following link to go to the GUNBlast Feedback Page.
