Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Scared Straight into His Arms


Oh what a beautiful snow we had this past Saturday. The extra large flakes came down like a blizzard. It was exciting because I had been praying to see some snow falling this year. However, along with the beauty came the mess. Salt-water slush had dried all over my car. I knew I would need to get it washed quickly.

So…Monday morning, Buddy (my dog) and I went to get the car washed along with the other errands. When I go places, I love to take Buddy. The joyful expression as he hangs his head out the window is priceless. I pulled up to the car wash and paid. All was well until I pulled into the washing slot.

Buddy

Suddenly, as the machines moved over the car, Buddy began to cower and then slither into the front seat beside me. He was shaking uncontrollable while trying to stay close to me. Buddy instinctively knew, if he could get into the arms of his master, he would be protected and comforted through the whole situation.

I talked to him softly as I stoked his head. I told him how brave he was, that he would be fine and it would be over soon. Buddy may not have understood the words I spoke but he could understand my tone and intent. After the machines stopped, I pulled the car out of the slot. Buddy was timid but nevertheless he still had many licks of thanks. By the time I drove to the street, he was in the back seat, his tail was wagging and he was ready for the window to be opened again.

In that moment I realized Buddy and I are alike in how we react to our fears. When I am overcome with fear, I also instinctively get into my Master’s arms for comfort and strength. God speaks words of encouragement to my spirit through His Word or through those around me. The softness of His words help me to focus on His power to get me through. When I sense that the danger is over, I sit up, straighten my clothes, and thank God he was there to embrace me. As I relax, I resume the activities I was working on before the crisis began.

What do you do when an unexpected situation triggers fear? Learning to run into the arms of your heavenly Father takes time but it is worth the effort. If you are not sure how to begin, take a lesson from Buddy:

Spend time at the feet of your master.

Listen to your master's comforting words.

Learn to response to your master's comfort with thanks.



Before long, with a little practice, you will be instinctively getting into the arms of your Heavenly Father in times of uncertainty too.



The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ‘Destroy him!’
Deuteronomy 33:27


8 comments:

  1. I loved it! God has really given you a gift for writing. I could see everything so vividly and loved every word. Can't wait to read more!

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    1. Thanks for your encouragement Leslie. Blessings on your week!

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  2. Awwwww! I can just see Buddy being so scared. Glad he did better the second time y'all went. Blessings on both of you as you are stretched in new ways and places.

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    1. Yes is was a little better, bless his heart. Blessings on your weekend.

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  3. Loved your story, Mary Jane. I also liked your visuals. Where do you find your clip art quotes?

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    1. I collect them in various places when I see them and I take pictures too. I try to stay clear of possible copy writed items though. If I know I have an idea coming up, I will be on the look out for pictures ahead of time. It is nice to have some on file cause looking is time consuming. Other then that, I download general stuff when I see a picture I like that can be used most anywhere. Kristen took the hand picture and the one of Buddy too. The other I have had in my downloads for a while.

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    2. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/ Try this URL. It helped me on the top picture. The rest I had already.

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    3. The top picture of this week's blog..."Flat Lined".

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