I'm Not Sorry I kicked a Chihuahua

You read that right I totally kicked a Chihuahua today. I was out doing my morning walk minding my own business and enjoying the scenery. I had my head phones on singing to my praise music and feeling pretty good about the morning.

THEN.... all of a sudden out of no where this Chihuahua comes at me! Full speed barking, growling, snarling like a rabid animal. It all happened so fast I had no time to think, before I know it this wild beast lunges toward my ankle.

I am literally screaming as if being attacked by a wolf. I start kicking at it, BAM one good hit but it's not enough to maim it. Another lunge, OH NO it's got my sweat pants, I can only imagine my ankle is next.

Still screaming, heart pumping, (more than if I had actually been running) I'm in a panic!

It's got me again, I kick it repeatedly but it doesn't let go. My lighting quick reflexes engage and I take my other foot and hold it down my it's neck. It's squirming beneath my foot and I'm still screaming not sure what to do next.

I look up and to my surprise, there's a man running toward me. He may or may not have been in his boxers but he definitely has no shirt on. He's yelling “NO! NO!” in what appears to be an Italian accent.

Is he part of this crime scene? I don't know. He finally reaches me bends down and picks up the squirming animal who continues to foam at the mouth. My heart still pounding I'm not sure of my next move.

The shirtless Italian man finally has the dog in his hands and I begin to yell at him in my prayer language, I figure praying the perfect will of God is a good idea instead of using the English words that were on my mind... OK I exaggerated here I didn't really do that.

He has the dog and as my adrenaline is still pumping he lifts up the gums of the snarling beast and with his Italian accent yells “he has a no teeth, he has a no teeth.”

I was stunned.... I suddenly get a mental picture of myself screaming in fear with this 2 pound dog on my leg and it's all I can do not to burst out laughing.

The poor man nearly had a heart attack running to save his crazy toothless Chihuahua. I can't make this stuff up Gems.

I'm pretty sure no one has ever been gummed to death by a small dog, by any dog for that matter.

I think I heard the Holy Spirit chuckle for the first time. In that very moment I heard Him say “isn't it just like the devil to fill you with fear and he's got no teeth.”

Of course this got me thinking as I continued my walk home. How many things does the enemy use to fill us with fear? How many times have we exaggerated situations in our minds before they ever happen? How many times have we become paralyzed in fear when we can keep the enemy under our foot?

The Bible tells us in

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

16 take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

What are the flaming arrows? They are whatever causes you to fear. They are the things that keep you up at night. The worries that cause you anxiety and depression. They are Chihuahua's that have no teeth because God is in control even when the enemy attacks.

Gems I hope this silly story will encourage you in your daily walk to remember God is bigger than the enemies flaming arrows. Don't lose your peace, but if you do, feel free to kick the “Chihuahua.” With a spiritual foot of course :)

Labor Day

Today is Labor Day.  Well it was when I wrote this.

 How ironic that I find my head whirling with thoughts and questions about my life and decisions I make.  A day America celebrates the working class. A day we look back on our jobs, careers, income and future. 

 Is it a day we celebrate how well we have taken care of ourselves? How far we've come or how far we need to go? Do we celebrate our self sufficiency?
 

Where is God in all this? Where is the line of responsibility, good stewardship and relying on God? 

I know the Lord chose to use money as a means of making a living and it's money that's needed to pay for things. 

Jesus even had Peter get the coin from the fishes mouth to pay their taxes. Peter was a fisherman, that was his trade, his job. He knew how to fish but he had never found money in the mouth of a fish before. 
So even though God had Peter do what he does, fish, He still performed the miracle.

How is the miracle performed in my job? 
    
I am unemployed this Labor Day. I look back over my life and I see the constant provision but I find myself asking, was I supposed to leave my last assignment? 

Everything in me screams "yes "but I don't see the manna turning into provision yet.

 I check my bank account and what do my eyes see?  As if the font is twice the size of my account information “Activate Credit Card?” I quickly say "NO. "
I will not live on credit.  I will not be in bondage.  

But for a brief moment I find I did think about it..

My thoughts are drawn to John The Baptist. When he said I must decrease so you may increase did he realize he was days away from having his head chopped off? 
Did he wonder as he walked to his death if God was going to save him or had the Lord prepared him for this ending? What does my ending look like?

Where is the line of trusting too much? Is it really only trusting when you have NOTHING to contribute?

Or is it thanking God each day for the job you have knowing He supplied it? Thanking Him for another day of not having idle hands.

No one can answer these questions for you because each one of us are called to a personal relationship and each relationship can look very different.

My concern is not can or will God provide it's more did I miss something? Did I hear you right? Am I still on track?

Gems the conclusion I came up with is even if I get off track the Lord will bring me back. His word says He will be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
Perhaps I'm worrying about the wrong kind of labor. Maybe we should put as much emphasis on our spiritual jobs as we do our worldly jobs.

1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
 

This kind of job always provides, always honors, always rewards and you can never get laid off or fired! 

There is no unemployment line in Kingdom careers. 
I have decided to celebrate a new Labor Day and if your looking for a job I know God's hiring :)