Saturday, February 14, 2009

Gone With the Wind

Old Miss Fontain could relate to the devastation, weariness, and heartache that Scarlett had experienced. She conveyed as much in her story of the Creek War, seeing each of her family members scalped by the Indians, trying to survive in the woods and on the back roads until she made it 30 miles on foot to Jonesboro. And in that moment of shared experiences, this is what Old Miss Fontain had to say:

Child, it's a very bad thing for a woman to face the worst that can happen to her, because after she's faced the worst she can't ever really fear anything again. And it's very bad for a woman not to be afraid of something....

Since that time I've never been afraid of anything or anybody because I'd known the worst that could happen to me. And that lack of fear has gotten me into a lot of trouble, and cost me a lot of happiness. God intended women to be timid, frightened creatures, and there's something unnatural about a woman who isn't afraid. Scarlett, always save something to fear even as you save something to love.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Nehemiah 2

The dreams of the night often evaporate in the cool light of the morning. So dreamers have to become thinkers, planners, and workers. People of vision need to become people of action. So Nehemiah, though inspired by his vision of the rebuilt city, had to make a plan. Soon after his arrival in Jerusalem he undertook a personal reconnaissance. By night he went out, examining the walls of Jerusalem. Thus in true leadership vision and action, a dream and a plan go together. —John Stott