Keeping things in perspective

published April 26, 2012

in the Stockton Sentinel

Stockton, Kansas

     Recently on an early morning walk, I had the hair-raising experience of being attacked by a large dog. I'm usually out before 6 a.m. on my walk, iPod strapped onto my arm and earplugs stuck in my ears, with some great pulsating music pushing me forward. And I'm deep in thought and oftentimes in prayer, and thinking ahead of what may be on the agenda for the day.
     So it was that morning when I was attacked. I didn't even realize at first that it was a dog because it charged up behind me and I just caught the movement and the thing's shadow. In that nanosecond, my mind--and my heart rate--signaled FEAR, but as I jerked around to see my attacker, I didn't see anything at first. Then I saw him, and oh, my! I was being ankle-chased by a Chihuahua!
     It took another half a block to recover my breath and my heart rate! And when I finally did get myself calmed down, of course I felt pretty silly. No one would have known a thing about this silliness if it hadn't become a source of inspiration for this column. You see, God used the experience of "the large dog that attacked me" to teach me something on that morning walk.
     There are some issues in my life right now that seem large and overwhelming, things over which I have no control. By the time my salk was over that morning, and periodically since then, God has reminded me to look at these issues from a different perspective. Things have a way of seeming huge if they sneak up on me when I least expect them and cause me to react in fear and worry. It is only when I face the fears and place those worries in God's hands that I can relax and get on with my life.
     Instead of reacting in fear to these issues, such as I would to a "big dog," I've turned those worries over to my "Big God." And now I can continue my daily walk.