GTS – Page 89 – Kidd Commander!

~J

When struggling is a sin, it’s time to question the deity, not the follower.

Aria

you’d think so wouldn’t you lmao

Departure_Dave

Struggle long enough and you’ll get a new name and nation to put it on, Jacob. ;D

Aria

god the thought of toulouse with four wives is so funny he would be SO DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE
Chromoid

This comment and the subsequent reply had me on the floor. Imagine Toulouse working his ass off for some guy’s daughter only to find out he married the wrong girl and has to work even more for the right one. I’m actually pretty sure he’d do it AND be apologetic about the whole misunderstanding! 🤣
- Aria
  
  “gosh i’m so sorry i must have misheard you the first time, maybe i misspoke and asked for the wrong sister? gosh. i’m so embarrased :(“

Chromoid

I want to say as someone who not only reads, but tries his level best to follow the actual teachings of the Bible (and not whatever some guy in a pulpit says), Prosper is actually speaking a lot of Biblical wisdom here. People are NOT made to be islands (I should know, I’ve tried and failed countless times to live all alone) and while God does have a habit of moving people along varied paths, that does not mean they must suddenly abandon all good things that are in keeping with his values. He made us for community and companionship. It’s intrinsic to our nature, as basic and critical as food or air. Denying that is denying something he explicitly deemed “good.”

In the exact same vein, the idea that following God means you automatically “get it right” from that point on is a terrible fallacy. Changing your cosmic allegiance doesn’t change your habits, behaviors, and especially your struggles overnight. It doesn’t even change them in a few years. So it’s ok to struggle. It’s even ok to fail (repeatedly, sometimes!), though failure by choice should be avoided when possible. It’s whether or not you learn and try to change after you fail that is important.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: no matter who you are or whether or not you think all the stuff I’ve written here is a whole lot of superstitious nonsense, do not EVER allow your failings or struggles to tell you who you are, or always will be. And especially don’t let them prevent you from seeking help and comfort from a trusted friend. Isolation is the ultimate killer of body, mind, and soul, and it acts doubly fast when you’re already struggling in a dark place. Don’t let those whispers of failure and self-hate consume you in the night. Find someone trustworthy who will listen. They’re worth their weight in gold.

Love your writing as always Aria. Thanks again for this intriguing and engaging story!

Aria

I agree! All three of the authority figures we’ve seen for Toulouse so far are based on kind of an amalgamation of people I knew in church, and Prosper is by far the kindest and most well-adjusted imo. In all the different churches we bounced between there were always a handful of people who would find ways to bend the rules just a liiiiittle bit because they understood God to be a force for good, so they would say things like this even when it explicitly went against whatever was being taught that day. Instead of trying to force stricter interpretations of the bible, they’d sort of do the equivalent of leaning over and whispering “it’s not as bad as all that” when the fire and brimstone stuff would send me into hysterics during sermons lol. Usually they chalked up meaner biblical stuff like “it’s a sin to worry” to humans just not quite being capable of interpreting the word accurately, because like OBVIOUSLY a loving god wouldn’t punish people for basic human responses to a frightening world, that sort of thing. It’s still alienating a lot of the time but those people can make a huge difference for scared children getting dragged to church every week hehe. and the occasional prophet i guess

Thank you so much for reading it!! <3

Demon

The moment when the wise and the strong realize they are neither… One of the few joyful sadness’s that keep a shepherd leading a flock. Thinking they know everything is usually what starts the situation. But one-upping someone “who knows” is a rare treat.