worries?

People seem to have so many worries. Worries are just another name for fear. Many of these are legitimate because of the fallen world we live in. I have my fair share that I attempt to rid myself of by trusting God with them. I slept in my car at the hospital last night, it was great. I was comfortable, warm, and when I woke up I was already at work. I think I'm going to do it again on Tuesday.

I was running today, this time down Farmville Lake Road. The pavement ends after 0.9 miles and there are dogs at the end who bark continuously when you run out in that direction. I think I awoke the entire dog community in outer Farmville. I felt afraid at first and quickly looked at the houses near by to see if there would be any witnesses to my demise should the dogs attack. To my dismay, there were none to be seen. I gathered my wits and prayed as only the courageous do when they are faced with a challenge. I yelled out "Go home!" and pointed back to the house the dogs had come from. They did not move. Large, unleashed dogs are a very legitimate fear. I yelled again and began my advance toward the dogs (prior to this, I had not moved). My heart was pounding and I was talking to God in my head though I can't remember what I was saying. I tend to have a lot of conversations with the Big Guy all day that I can't recall. To others it may seem as though I have an imaginary friend. I digress, back to the dogs. The 5th or 6th time I yelled and the closer I got, they shrank back and trotted down the path in the direction I pointed. I was surprised and began slowly picking up speed while the dogs stared back at me with watching eyes, making sure I did not infringe upon their territory.

This experience was interesting. My mind jumped to conclusions as soon as I saw the two large dogs. When I looked around for people, I was looking for things to climb or jump up on at the same time. I was afraid in my heart. However, I found my strength in God and each time I called out "go home!" to the dogs, I became more courageous. I felt empowered with each shout. It's the same with talking about Jesus. Each time I tell someone at the hospital something about God and how great He is, the less afraid I become. My fear of man is illegitimate here in Virginia, much like it is in California. No one is going to string me up or beat me down because I believe in Jesus Christ and want to tell them about it. Two of my friends were appreciative of my concern (I basically told them-on separate occasions I felt bad for them because they were only living for the here and now and that they were on the road to hell, but Jesus died for them and God loved them)... however they both said "religion is not for me" and proceeded to tell me that they were doing all right though one was ranting later about how the world was all about money and everyone was trying to get money. I felt like I needed to tie something about man's sinfulness but words escaped me and I ended up saying that there are some who truly live for God and live selfless lives but it is impossible to do it alone, we need God's help. he didn't understand what I was saying and laughed at me and said I had a lot of ideals and that the "world isn't like that sweetie."

In conclusion of today's events, I would say that my fear of man is not legitimate. Fear of God is. My fear of the Lord is great and He is worthy of praise. He can do all things. There are some things that I would say are legitimate to fear, though over time you get over it because God is sovereign. People fear the unknown, I know that God knows the unknown - therefore I do not fear it once I come to my senses. People fear others and life, this world is full of the sins of man, but ultimately God is in control and all things work for the glory of God for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

On another note, I went to the Super Bowl party at the Richard's. I am anti-social. I didn't meet anyone new and I sat in front of the television watching the game the entire time that I wasn't up getting cheesy poofs, cheese snacks, and cookies. The outcome was just what I wanted so I was pleased (I love sports and everything about them). Afterward, luckily I had my headlamp with me and got in my car, ready to drive to Farmville. I was stopped by two men on the road shortly after pulling out. I was scared at first but God eased my heart and I was able to assist two fully grown men with jumping a mini van. I was surprised neither of them knew how to properly jump a car, nor had jumper cables available. I had been praying for God to give me opportunities to serve others in a way that was not something I already did because of my training from my parents (cleaning up, dishes, putting things away, organizing, etc before you leave a party/place/etc). It was nice to see prayers be answered to quickly. The two men were very grateful as I laughed and told them we had just been talking about serving others and God must have placed me here to be available to help them tonight while bidding them farewell.

God is good. God is faithful. Pray without ceasing, pray with faith that He will answer.