As I embarked on my run this afternoon, I typically stop midway at a bridge that overpasses flowing water below to engulf myself in the calmness and peacefulness. As I looked out beyond the bridge, I noticed an individual in the distance pacing back and forth but not making any distance closer or further away from me. Typically I am not alone on these trails, so as I watched at first I assumed it was an individual waiting around for a walking buddy to come along side of them. However, as I calmed myself near the water for a couple more minutes, I glanced over again and realized this individual was still straying back and forth with still no distance made between the two of us.
As I started on my run closer towards the individual, I was startled by a loud, rambunctious bark of a dog. Around the corner he came peering up next to me with another inquisitive bark. Seeing he wanted nothing to do with me after I paused and extended a hand to greet him, I continued on with my run.
Making my way closer to the interesting individual ahead, I started to piece together the missing puzzle piece of this interesting scenario. I slowed down to greet the tear-filled Asian woman as she smiled and hesitantly glanced ahead to the dog now lurking many yards behind me.
“I’m terrified of dogs,” she murmured cautiously as if the dog himself would hear her words. I paused, took a breath, looked behind me and said, “No worries. May I walk with you past him?”
She sighed a huge relief and nodded her head fervently. As we continued closer, we distracted one another with many questions and responding answers. I felt such a wave of empathy and with every step we made towards the barking dog, I felt even more confident that I would stay by her side not matter what came our way. As we passed by, the owners came out to collect their beloved pets, and I bid her farewell and went back into my daily run.
As I started thinking more of this situation, I couldn’t help connect the dots between this situation and our own fear-filled situations throughout life. Our Heavenly Father filled with nothing but empathy, compassion and love encourages us daily to keep walking on with our stride. He knows our fears. He sees our worries. He hears our cries, and He responds. He pauses. He comforts, and He takes our hand and walks right along side of us. Now the howling fears or the anxious worries that encompass our thoughts might not vanish completely, just as the dog did not disappear completely, but we do have the hope and security that He will be with us every step of the way even as we pass through our biggest fears.
Can you pray with us today? Pray over the children with no father or mother physically present at Mama Lynn’s orphanage this holiday season. Pray for our patients who have never experienced any medical attention before and are now getting ready to endure a surgical procedure come January. Pray that we may all realize that sometimes God asks us to walk through our biggest fears instead of around them, because He knows we will make it through for He will always be walking right by our side.
With Love,
Hope Ministries