Waiting for the Other Shoe

Did you ever find yourself waiting for the proverbial 'other shoe' to drop?

I had a weird sensation driving to work this morning; it was apprehension.  I was driving my mom's car along the same highway in the same lane as when I hit the goose (see post on Miscreant Goose) and I had this negative anticipation....what if the geese are there again?

This is what the commercials with the strange guy that pretends to be a raccoon, a Christmas tree, and other things/people that are mayhem is trying to create in us: FEAR.  Oooooo...fear makes me so angry (hear Marvin the Martian's voice). 

My three brothers and I would play a game every now and then when we lived in a large house in the hills of Vermont. The boys room was rather large and when someone was about half way through the room one of the others would turn off the light. The game was to see who would freak out or scream first. I only liked this game when I wasn't the 'mark' in the middle of the room! I discovered that I get angry when I'm frightened and I'll hit rather than run.

Of course, I can't strike the fear of hitting another goose...or the fear of anything else. So how do I, and others, handle this fear? I can rationalize the odds of hitting another goose whose beak will then penetrate an aluminum pipe; I can tell myself to not be silly to feel such things; or I can ignore it. The problem is that none of these options stops fear from doing it's job. Fear is a weapon of the enemy of our souls and we allow it rental space in our minds.

How on earth do we expect to stand firm in our faith when we're distracted by nagging fear that over time builds up to crippling, deadly fear? 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Galatians 6:11)

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore... (Galatians 6:13-14a)

A teaching on the whole armor takes more time/room than a post...but here's the key - we are to do this.  We don't pray for the armor, we put it on. We don't ask God to do it for us, we are obedient to do it ourselves.

Grab the WORD, trust our heavenly Father to know what He's talking about and stand. (Mayhem meet Jesus....problem solved!)