you know what someone said to me once when i was REALLY sick and recovery was SO LONG DOWN THE TRACK?....how do you eat an elephant?..(her reply was)...bit by bit!!!...it's an analogy to faith/belief/trust in "GOD" His Love/His Realness/His existance!!!...I had gone thru TOO MUCH hardship as a child and as a young adult to not eventually "see" that the existance of GOD was a fact of life...so..bit by bit i am "seeing" and "knowing His Presence in my life..and i have learnt along the way to not "try" to convince people in the existance of God...it's just too much of a headache and heartache...prayer is powerful, and i do believe that (thru experience) that when God wants to "intervene and touch lives"...He does it!! and He never gives up on us just because we say..no, i don't believe (that's why there are so many praying believers out there that God uses to pray for you when you are not able to pray or believe yourselves...it's okay..He'll work it out..your part in it to just ask Him to take over and use you if He wants to!!..really simple!!..Horses for courses..each unto their own..God so knows how to speak to people's hearts and for all those who don't believe, that's kool as well coz you are all included in His involvement in everyone's life..as hardened as we all are and can be with hurts and those cold and dead feelings that tend to "hang around" in us...God does such an amazing job at reaching into people's lives...despite our stuff-ups and despite other people making life harder for us in all aspects...for those who get the gist of what i've typed, trust Him to work in your life and others..pray and leave it to Him..and for those who just don't get what is written..ask God to show you what He's really all about, and don't worry about "not getting an answer" or "not believing He can give you an answer"...coz one day, either when you are at your lowest or vulnerable and hurting or suffering depression or have closed off coz "it's just to darn hard to believe" and that people will always try to "lead you up a garden path(lead you astray)....God will intervene and He'll do it in a way that is either so simple and tender or "smak dab" in the middle of your face!!!..and then when you say those all too true words of "Ahh Hah!!..Oh, I get it!!"...and it sticks inside of you like you have been GIVEN understanding...that is when you have begun to eat an elephant...bit by bit!!!...getting to understand and know God is step by step and Jesus has such a major part in all of understanding God..you will never separate the truth of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit..THEY ARE ONE!!!...and they all work together...i know that this sounds like a real headtrip, it did for me for many years and i just tormented myself in trying to work it out..eventually i just let it all go and said to God.."If your real, You work it out for me and help me to hear/know/embrace your truth and KNOW when you are speaking to me, and He has!!..for many years now, and is continuing...i don't despair any more, coz i know that i don't have to work it out..He does it all, i just let Him know what I'm thinking and feeling and am not afraid to let Him know when i'm angry with Him, to point of not wanting to talk to God for a long time!!! and not really giving a Rip!!!...that's kool, coz He hasn't forgotten me and patiently waits for me to call upon Him again even though He continues to work thru my life in the way of people/animals/creation/the lot!!...when you go thru a major breakdown and you loose EVERYTHING!! even your marbles(mind)...i dont know about you guys, but i found that all i could say was..God help! and sometimes, nothing at all, HE KNEW THE CRY FROM WITHIN, THE GROANING AND THE TEARS..that was all i was able to say..could'nt say or do anything else..how's that for vulnerability and helplessness and powerlessness...you soon realise after a while WHO is keeping you alive and where your next breath comes from...so..HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT???..bit by bit!! ....sorry, i'm raving again ..now you're probably thinking.."crazy aussie God tripper!!"..so be it...GOD BLESS YOU IN ALL YOU DO AND WHAT EVER ROAD YOU WALK ON...GOD'S THERE WITH YOU, STEP BY STEP... Jujuboy