*mild spoilers ensue for The Promised Neverland volume 11*
One of my favorite manga series has been adapted to an anime. It's called The Promised Neverland, and it's about an orphanage where children are farmed. They are cultivated and nurtured so when they hit twelve years old, they can be shipped to monsters as a luxury meal. The main characters discover the truth and escape with almost all their brothers and sisters (nearly 30 children). Emma, the leader of the group, has a kindness surpassing everyone else. While others are trying to survive, Emma is thinking long term. Her dream is a society where people are no longer food. She refuses to leave any children behind as collateral, regardless of whether they would slow down the able bodies.
As of volume 11, Emma and her family were working to free some new friends from a hunting ground developed by a small, rich group of monsters. One monster in particular caught my interest. Leuvis has been trapping and killing human children for years, but not to eat them. Here's an excerpt from their battle. (Start with the second picture and read right to left.)
One of my favorite manga series has been adapted to an anime. It's called The Promised Neverland, and it's about an orphanage where children are farmed. They are cultivated and nurtured so when they hit twelve years old, they can be shipped to monsters as a luxury meal. The main characters discover the truth and escape with almost all their brothers and sisters (nearly 30 children). Emma, the leader of the group, has a kindness surpassing everyone else. While others are trying to survive, Emma is thinking long term. Her dream is a society where people are no longer food. She refuses to leave any children behind as collateral, regardless of whether they would slow down the able bodies.
As of volume 11, Emma and her family were working to free some new friends from a hunting ground developed by a small, rich group of monsters. One monster in particular caught my interest. Leuvis has been trapping and killing human children for years, but not to eat them. Here's an excerpt from their battle. (Start with the second picture and read right to left.)
Leuvis purposefully puts the most resilient of the children through his own type of hell. Why? "It's only within despair that humans will agonize, think, rise, and evolve."
I have been going through a period of testing myself. Dealing with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), work stress, and family drama, I learned some things. The extent of my sin nature became clear to me for the first time in years, and I do not like it.
Did I want to go through all the horrible things that befell my family in the last year? Heck no! If I had realized, I would have crawled under the covers and never left my room. In fact, I tried to do that a few times. But I survived, and now I am thriving. Why? "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).
The Apostle Paul states it this way, "[God] said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me" (12:9). 1 Corinthians 12:5-10 is about Paul's struggle with a particular "thorn in [his] flesh." He never tells us what this thorn is, but he says plainly that God leaves it with him so that he may grow. It is only when we ourselves cannot go on that Christ's power shines through us.
Emma and the other children have gone through horrendous circumstances, but now they are stronger. They are wiser. They can survive, and more than that, they can thrive. Because of their hardships, they are able to help others. They can rescue all the children, not just themselves. Because of our trials, we are able to see ourselves as we are. We know our broken parts, and we can let God fix them. When we are complete, we can reach out to others in similar straits. After all, "the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. ... When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" (1 Cor. 10:13).
So next time you experience a trial, don't just endure it. Learn from it. Allow yourself to be broken so God can put you back together in His image. Then that image will have a testimony for someone else.
I have been going through a period of testing myself. Dealing with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), work stress, and family drama, I learned some things. The extent of my sin nature became clear to me for the first time in years, and I do not like it.
Did I want to go through all the horrible things that befell my family in the last year? Heck no! If I had realized, I would have crawled under the covers and never left my room. In fact, I tried to do that a few times. But I survived, and now I am thriving. Why? "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).
The Apostle Paul states it this way, "[God] said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me" (12:9). 1 Corinthians 12:5-10 is about Paul's struggle with a particular "thorn in [his] flesh." He never tells us what this thorn is, but he says plainly that God leaves it with him so that he may grow. It is only when we ourselves cannot go on that Christ's power shines through us.
Emma and the other children have gone through horrendous circumstances, but now they are stronger. They are wiser. They can survive, and more than that, they can thrive. Because of their hardships, they are able to help others. They can rescue all the children, not just themselves. Because of our trials, we are able to see ourselves as we are. We know our broken parts, and we can let God fix them. When we are complete, we can reach out to others in similar straits. After all, "the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. ... When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" (1 Cor. 10:13).
So next time you experience a trial, don't just endure it. Learn from it. Allow yourself to be broken so God can put you back together in His image. Then that image will have a testimony for someone else.