“And we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to pacify; we have become as the scum of the world, the sludge of all things”
The bearers of greatness, the people who bring hope live by the words above. Those who choose a good fight will invariably be cast as the wrong and lowly of this culture. Yet we will work hard and find success with our hands. We will be mocked and in return we will bless those who mock. We will be attacked yet persistence will be our motto. They will hurl insults and lies and we will hurl back peace and wisdom. We will be made the low point of this culture but in reality we raise the bar.
The phrase at the top begins though with toiling with our own hands. Working hard, earning a living and providing for your family seems to be the baseline in this journey to dispense hope and healing around us.
If you are one of those rare few who decide to bring hope, that starts where you work. Your work ethic speaks volumes to every one around you. If your work isn’t exemplary then why would anyone take notice, who would give you a voice? The toil of your hands will create the initial platform to share your vision. Also as a result of putting in the hours I think it helps develop the tough skin we need to handle all that comes next in that phrase. We become low so that others are lifted high, that’s part of the great commission.
I shot this image of a new friend of mine, he sang at a wedding that had to be rushed inside due to a snow storm in April! The floating orbs are huge snow flakes. Shot with the Sony A7r with the old Canon 50 f/.95 lens.
