I will admit that I am a little bit of a creature of habit -- not inflexible, by any means, but I do have some routines that I observe rather faithfully. And one of those routines is to take prayer and exercise time every morning.
For the past three years, since we adopted our dog, Hollister, walking and running with him has been part of that morning routine. He's a fairly big guy, and loves his ...morning exercise time as much as I do.
Well, he used to, anyway.
Lately, he's been less than enthusiastic about our morning jaunts. To put it bluntly, he's been downright uncooperative -- literally sitting in the middle of the street near our house and refusing to budge. I've coaxed, cajoled, encouraged, and even tried to bribe him with a treat, all to no avail.
My suspicion is that the noise from some construction a few blocks away bothers him, and he doesn't want to go in the direction of that noise. Unfortunately, we have to head in the direction of the noise to get out of our small neighborhood development. Once we're out, we can head away from the noise that bothers him so much and continue on our way. But we can't make it far enough for him to realize that everything is really okay -- and that fun awaits, just on the other side of the bothersome noise.
We're about a week into his refusal to head out in the mornings, and I'm not enjoying having my morning routine altered. More than anything, I'm missing his company -- and watching the fun that he has exploring and checking out all of the sights and smells of the neighborhood each day. And Hollister -- poor thing -- is missing out on three or four miles worth of exercise and exploration.
This little disruption in my routine has helped me remember something: When we're afraid to step out of our comfort zones, we often miss out on the abundant grace that God has in store for us. All too often, our unwillingness to step out in faith beyond that which might intimidate us causes us to miss out on the rich reward just on the other side of our fears. We avoid coming into contact with neighbors who might be "different." We are uncertain about trying a new ministry opportunity, or joining a new class or group, because we're not sure if it will be a "good fit." And we miss out.
Just on the other side of the bothersome noise, a fun morning awaits my sweet dog. I'm just hoping that when all of the construction is done, he remembers how much fun we've always had and will be willing once again to venture out and take it all in.
And just on the other side of our fears and uncertainties, abundant blessings await us.
Are we willing to take a little risk, for the grace that awaits us just on the other side?
For the past three years, since we adopted our dog, Hollister, walking and running with him has been part of that morning routine. He's a fairly big guy, and loves his ...morning exercise time as much as I do.
Well, he used to, anyway.
Lately, he's been less than enthusiastic about our morning jaunts. To put it bluntly, he's been downright uncooperative -- literally sitting in the middle of the street near our house and refusing to budge. I've coaxed, cajoled, encouraged, and even tried to bribe him with a treat, all to no avail.
My suspicion is that the noise from some construction a few blocks away bothers him, and he doesn't want to go in the direction of that noise. Unfortunately, we have to head in the direction of the noise to get out of our small neighborhood development. Once we're out, we can head away from the noise that bothers him so much and continue on our way. But we can't make it far enough for him to realize that everything is really okay -- and that fun awaits, just on the other side of the bothersome noise.
We're about a week into his refusal to head out in the mornings, and I'm not enjoying having my morning routine altered. More than anything, I'm missing his company -- and watching the fun that he has exploring and checking out all of the sights and smells of the neighborhood each day. And Hollister -- poor thing -- is missing out on three or four miles worth of exercise and exploration.
This little disruption in my routine has helped me remember something: When we're afraid to step out of our comfort zones, we often miss out on the abundant grace that God has in store for us. All too often, our unwillingness to step out in faith beyond that which might intimidate us causes us to miss out on the rich reward just on the other side of our fears. We avoid coming into contact with neighbors who might be "different." We are uncertain about trying a new ministry opportunity, or joining a new class or group, because we're not sure if it will be a "good fit." And we miss out.
Just on the other side of the bothersome noise, a fun morning awaits my sweet dog. I'm just hoping that when all of the construction is done, he remembers how much fun we've always had and will be willing once again to venture out and take it all in.
And just on the other side of our fears and uncertainties, abundant blessings await us.
Are we willing to take a little risk, for the grace that awaits us just on the other side?
