Conflict

We remember stories for lots of reasons. Characters, locations, dialogue. But truth be told, even the most interesting of these would soon be forgotten were it not for the conflict that drives the story. Even innocuous stories like your average sitcom- ie Friends- has conflict injected to force the characters to grow and change, or make us laugh. Ross and Rachel can't seem to make it work for 10 years, Jack and Locke are locked in a faith vs science conflict, the coaches in We Are Marshall face the uphill battle of building a team from the ashes of tragedy, The Grapes of Wrath is filled to brim with conflict after conflict for the destitute family.

Our lives are not unlike stories here, either. Our conflicts are very real, struggling to make relationships work, arguments with our philosophical opposites, overcoming loss and failure, and a multitude of other less than enjoyable endeavors we engage in because we need to survive.

There are times I wish my conflict were with a monster or a supervillain or a massive storm/natural disaster. It would be far easier to drive a stake in the heart of a Dracula than to face an argument with one I love. To face certain death in the epicenter of an earthquake would be far preferable to the possibility of a very public failure. And there are definitely times I'd rather run into the Joker than one of my kids in a temper-tantrum mood.

How do we survive conflict? We press on. Jesus overcame this world, and He is with us, in us. He has given or will give us what we need to face every conflict- save for the one that ultimately takes us home to Him. Moreover, we are made to endure conflict to mature us, complete us and fulfill us. Conflict makes you a better you. Faramir, when in possession of the Conflict inducing ring of power, asks if this is "A chance for Faramire to prove his quality?"

So when that Twister is bearing down on you, or that Wicked Witch is circling your skies, or the deadline is ticking closer, rise up and face it as a chance to prove your quality.