The hardest of our journeys in life is when we face adversity. Right now in land there is a movement to change text books not to show the harshness of black slavery. Yet there has been white slaves as well. The thing that angered me yesterday is some wanted to rid pictures in text books of slavery. I do not remember growing up with text book that showed slavery in such manner as depicted on the news the other night of slaves being beaten and in the fields. I do remember however a movie called Roots that actually was fairly well done that showed the harshness of what was done to people of different color before the time of freedom. There more films out there that show not only slavery, but the harshness of sex trade and what is know as black market that sells people that still exist in our world today. This is my thought on the issue, you may not want to see the imagines of brutalty of any society, but to erase them is also not good, because there is always somewhere these images, and abuse attitudes still exist and superiority will be taught by some group, if we are not aware we can not keep abuse under controlled. You can either use slavery of demonstrating how to treat someone, or use that hardship as as legacy of victory of overcoming all the way to the President in the Whitehouse. One can say erase this from society and say evil never existed and evil never happens. Try that for women that are raped in society that because of politics, religious or business leaders, they probably never report it because of these men uses their powers to hush the victim up either with a bribe, threats or killing them. If we say slavery/evil does not happen or it is no longer a place in society as it is, we never claim the value of the victim worth or power to overcome, because it is closed issue and if it reoccurs the issue is silence. The awareness of something only allows it not to reoccur. Bible says evil should not be spoken about. I agree, but I also think without knowledge in our world it becomes and issue of shame for every victim. The victim should never feel shame of what happened to them, but be able to say I am going to be overcomer to what I faced or even what my family, or group of people faced. Evil can not be changed once it happens, only future slavery can be stopped, halted and destroyed, but without knowledge when it occurs will people know what it is. Wiping it out does not change its existence only how people handle it and those that are victims. To admit abuse and admit the innocent being the victim is need in society today.

As I look at the story of Sarai's servant and I realize how difficult it must of been for this servant to be told she would be sleeping with her mistress husband, because he desired a child. She is forced into prostitution without even a say. It does not end their she conceives and her mistress becomes jealous and begins to treat her with resentment. Hagar is now in a situation she does not want to even live in, so she gathers her things and runsaway. And angel of the Lord speaks to her and ask her where she is going and he tells her to return to her mistress and submit to her because her child within her would be a great nation.

Now Hagar had two choices to keep running or return, and she chooses to return to her mistress Sarai and to serve her until Sarah had her own child. Hagar was in the middle of adversity and yet God told her not to free herself but to return to her position and to serve her mistress. No one wants to be treated badly. And no one wants to be treated with scorn. Where was God's wisdom but to send Hagar back into the situation as a servant to Sarai. Hagar went because of the angel of the Lord. Can we obey God in adversary? Can we obey God in difficult situations. Slavery was just as wrong in scripture as it was during civil war era. Yet what we see is Hagar a slave with faith submitting to the will of God in her life. Yet we also find out Hagar had her limits and her humanity will show through after the birth of Isaac the son of Sarai.

Being humble in situations that are out of our control is probably the hardest, but to be put in a situation that you never desired is even equally hard. I can not imagine for moment the pain of Hagar knowing she had to do the will of her mistress and then obeying only to be mistreated for doing as she was told. For thousand of years the peace process between Arab and Jewish world have been at odds over this situation. Yesterday a new peace treaty was put in place between two nations, Israel and Palestine. This has been a process in the works for the last ten years or less maybe more. It is the work toward keeping peace between two groups of people that have been having trouble for centuries. With the latest bombing in Lebanon it did not stop this signing from occuring. What this means it take time to filterate the idea of peace in all people especially of two nations of conflict. Ishmael was the father of the Arab people and descendants. Of course there are other nationalities mixed in by now, but it important to understand there were tribes of people that are technically brothers that are squabling over land rites and ownership of land that has not seen peace even since the time of Isaac birth. If two President Obama and Trump actually sees peace remain, it is going to be a miracle in the making and one for the recorded books, because it is something for these two nations to come to peace.

How do we deal with adversity of life, are we overcomes or do we allow life to beat us down despite that it knocks our wind in our sails complete off course, or sinks our ship so the only choice is to swim. I had a scary dream but it so true how we act sometimes with adversity. Three people climb down from a clef to a little ledge covered by upper ledge. The descent with ropes was not the problem, it was climbing back up even with a rope ladder being provided that was terrifying. The first person makes it to the top, the second person encourages the third person to go up but he will not move toward the ledge to grab the ladder and climb up. The second person is relunctant to climb because fear that the third person is going have a melt down on the ledge. Where they stood was safe and warm. It seemed convient to remain on the ledge, but it would not be anyway to survive there, one either had to climb up or starve under a ledge. The fear was greater then the need to survive and so the second man climb up to talk to the first one that came up the ladder, leaving the third man to his own devices.

We can provide everything needed for survival and a person might not grab hold of the ladder to pull themselves up. We can climb up ourselves but our own fear might not take us back down to help, finding a way to pull the other one back up might not be simple. Adversity of the situation is that fear is often controlling the situation and not common sense. Common sense would be to use the ropes that propelled the three down to hoist the man under the ledge back up, even going to the extreme of knocking him out. Use the rope as a safety harness to help give him support, til he could get to the top. Instead they left him below to die.

Point being we can be people that help people in situations of adversity or people that watch a person die. Sarah harshness might of had its benefits for Hagar though it was cruel, for Abraham was a man of wealth and prestige even before the birth of his son Isaac and Ishmael. Hagar son would be a part Abraham's family nothing would ever change it even with Hagar leaving later on in her story in scripture. Ishmael was present at the burial of his father. Hagar, when she and her son was finally sent away by Abraham, he provided her with provisions that last until the need of water arose, but then God step up and provided for Hagar during her struggle. God did not abandon her though Abraham and Sarai did.

The point being God wants to help us in struggle when no one else will, God wants to enable us and not leave us unprotected in the storm. The solution might be being pulled up instead of taking a step forward and sometimes it taking a step forward alone. No older person wants to go to a nursing home especially right now, and yet some have no choice but to face whatever lays in front of them because they can not remain at home and their children if any can not care for them as not much choice if they can not provide some type of home care for them. Some elderly is very much alert and know exactly what is happening to them. Pray for those facing adversity of life situations. Pray for those that can not escape their present situation. Find way not to leave people behind, but pull them to safety. Keep each other safe but following guidelines. Don't shun the innocent but give them protection as much that is possible. Children are abused, and people that know them need to speak out, but they also need to know how to speak up so that kids are not harmed. See activity that not normal share with a cop, you maybe breaking a sex trafficers.

Dear Heavenly Father adversity of life can weigh us down as we struggle with problems before us, but let not those issues be our destruction, help us to be overcomers of obstacles in our path, help us to step up and not see the valley below, but only the stair steps to high ground. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Proverbs 3:5-8 KJV
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.