He was a man on honor, committed to defending his homeland and preserving his good name. He was quick to come to the aid of any in distress, offer assistance to all who were in need. Chivalry should have been his hallmark.... and would have been if not for those windmills!
A quick look at the current Dow Jones Index and even the most casual glance at today's headlines reveal a troublesome scenario. The greatest concern is not the global economic instability or a dwindling 401k, history is replete with seasons of financial downturns and market volatility. There may be some argument on the timeline for an economic turnaround, but the consensus is that the market will recover and the economy will once again expand. In fact, our greatest danger has very little to do with dollars and cents, but much to do with dollars and SENSE.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 reminds us that "Wisdom is a shelter" and Proverbs 24 declares that "by wisdom a house is built." Jesus challenged us with the truth that "whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to the wise man who builds his house upon the rock: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house but it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." Our current season of uncertainty has many, unfortunately including many in leadership, searching for an easy answer to turn back the floods and calm the winds. The inevitable result is that in fear and/or confusion we begin to fight unnecessary battles and in the end are doing nothing more that "tilting at windmills." Their motivation is much like that of the beloved literary character Don Quixote, admirable yet horribly misguided. The solutions offered are little more than building a house on shifting sand.
So, what is the answer? A quick review of Cervantes' story of the man from LaMancha reminds us that perspective is a valuable tool. With our larger view we understand that Quixote's giants are mere windmills and the mythical mambrinos helmet is nothing more than a barber's washbowl. Moreover, a review of the promises of God reminds us that the way to weather a stormy season is to align ourselves with biblical truth.
Time will reveal that the answers for our current situation will have very little to with what is done in the White House and will fail to find the solution amidst all of talk radio. It will have everything to do with the level to which we commit ourselves to the principles of Scripture, understanding that God sees those "windmill giants" from his Heavenly perspective and He is not the slightest bit scared!
