Morning Motivation. Fear of the Unknown; Brodie and the Grocery Bag
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
On your typical day, my dog Brodie is not afraid of bags of any kind. He is not fearful of handbags, grocery bags, or trash bags. He is not even afraid of tea bags. But this was not your typical day. It was cold, and the sky was gray. There was a slight breeze, just enough to transform a plastic bag into an object of fear, at least for Brodie.
We were taking one of our multiple daily walks when Brodie's confident gait altered. His tail went down, his fur began to stand on end, and I heard a low guttural sound that I only hear when the UPS truck stops in front of the house. I scanned the horizon in search of the cause of this behavior, and there it was, a small plastic grocery bag in a bush swaying in the breeze. I knew what it was and because of this, I felt no fear. Brodie, on the other hand, saw something that he could not interpret and because it was an unknown, he was struck by fear.
Do I think that because of our faith in God that we will never experience feelings of fear? When we get a devastating diagnosis do we walk away smiling? When our spouse files for divorce do we laugh as they walk out the door? When a tragedy of any kind invades our lives do we dance in the streets? I would have to say no to all of those questions.
I believe that we, like Brodie, can't always interpret the full meaning of our fear. Many times it is a fear of the unknown that is the most disconcerting. I too believe that what we fear is not unknown to God and that is why He says to not be afraid. God walks beside us, strengthens us and understands the outcome of all of our circumstances.
Dear God,
You understand us and know that there are times we are afraid. Please help us to give You our fear; we know You can handle it far better than us. Help us to deal with the situations that make us fearful and please guide us in the direction that You would have us go and help us to be a light for You no matter what our circumstance. Amen
God tells us not to be afraid because He knows more then we do. When the feeling of fear begins, stop for a moment pray for guidance, and give that fear to God. Remember He is always with us and will never leave us or forsake us.
We were taking one of our multiple daily walks when Brodie's confident gait altered. His tail went down, his fur began to stand on end, and I heard a low guttural sound that I only hear when the UPS truck stops in front of the house. I scanned the horizon in search of the cause of this behavior, and there it was, a small plastic grocery bag in a bush swaying in the breeze. I knew what it was and because of this, I felt no fear. Brodie, on the other hand, saw something that he could not interpret and because it was an unknown, he was struck by fear.
Do I think that because of our faith in God that we will never experience feelings of fear? When we get a devastating diagnosis do we walk away smiling? When our spouse files for divorce do we laugh as they walk out the door? When a tragedy of any kind invades our lives do we dance in the streets? I would have to say no to all of those questions.
I believe that we, like Brodie, can't always interpret the full meaning of our fear. Many times it is a fear of the unknown that is the most disconcerting. I too believe that what we fear is not unknown to God and that is why He says to not be afraid. God walks beside us, strengthens us and understands the outcome of all of our circumstances.
Dear God,
You understand us and know that there are times we are afraid. Please help us to give You our fear; we know You can handle it far better than us. Help us to deal with the situations that make us fearful and please guide us in the direction that You would have us go and help us to be a light for You no matter what our circumstance. Amen
God tells us not to be afraid because He knows more then we do. When the feeling of fear begins, stop for a moment pray for guidance, and give that fear to God. Remember He is always with us and will never leave us or forsake us.
God Bless,
KathieyV:-)
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