Beasty Around the Corner

I learned something very recently. Fear can keep us (me) from going places that we really need to be going. Let me paint a picture for you by what I mean: I used to walk. I would put on my MP3 headset, and set out for a glorious time of worship. I would walk the neighborhood, spend about 30 minutes on my powerwalk, I called it.

THEN, one day the neighbors pitbull (ugly beast) met me at the end of our lane, and proceeded to walk me back up the lane to our house, backwards.  I knew NOT to turn and run, he would only see it as a chance to chase. Right when I got to our gate, I slowly reached back and opened it, and slipped into our yard, THAT is when the beast saw he was losing me and charged the gate.  I had my pepper spray in my hand the whole time, that is when I chose to use it.

Dead on, target reached. It made him so MAD, he charged again, I sprayed again. He finally pranced away, as I limped away emotionally from the fear. For future precautions, we took the issue up with the neighbor, and the City Animal Control Unit.   Since then I have had such a fear of that dog turning the corner and coming at me again, I have not set out walking since then, it’s been a few months.

Until ~ yesterday. Sporting a huge stick AND my pepper spray I headed out. When I got to the end of the lane, oh Beasty was no where to be seen. Whahoo, all the angels are on their feet, high-fiving each other (ok, maybe not – but that is how I felt).  Perhaps the ugly beast will never reappear. But my fear can not hold me back. Walk I did, with a glorious time of worship.

There WILL be beasts around many corners. Wisdom will lead us to take precautions. But we can not allow them to keep us captive from setting out.  When we do encounter them, and choose to stay put, we may never find out later that they are NO LONGER  there. Much of the time, the thing we fear is in our head, not necessarily awaiting us down the lane. 

Nearly 50 times we are admonished in the Bible to “Fear not…” or “Do not be afraid.”  Yet it is a common default for us all.  Paul writes to Timothy about stepping out, using the gifts God has instilled in him, to share the word of God with others, yet I feel this strong statement applies to all fears that hold us back. “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7)

FREEDOM ~ Jesus show us YOUR power, love us through it, and clear our thoughts, allow discipline and discretion to guide us, so the beasts of our minds would NOT rule over us.

~ DeDe  (Ps. 92:4 “You thrill me, LORD ..”)