This morning my “runner dog” took advantage of my 3 year old daughter opening the door. The moment she opened the door, my dog “Lego”, dashed out of the house. My 13 year old son went after the dog, but he often struggles to catch him. The dog mistakes my son running after him, as a game and runs faster and farther away. My son has good intentions of running after the dog, but always ends up chasing him further and further away. This morning my 13 year old jumped on his bike, as means of chasing after Lego. Today his chasing endeavor caused a huge ordeal…
We live on a quiet cul-de-sac and typically there is not much traffic. However, our street ends in a T. The cross road at the end of the T can be a bit more dangerous, as cars are known for flying in this area. My dog began running after some large huskies, that could have easily eaten him alive. My son in a frenzy chased the dog, trying to save him, and failed to look both ways at the T. A large black truck came to an abrupt stop {praise the Lord} as we all stood there in shock, all the while the dog was almost hit by several cars. This chasing ended shorty, after I {mom} ran down the street with a bag of pepperoni and lulled Lego with tasty treats, patience, and {no} chasing. After only a few short minutes, the dog was placed on a leash, and we all walked safely back to the house.
Once in the house, like any good mother, I scolded my son for his failure to look both ways. I asked him if it scared him, which he admitted it did. I explained how much we would be hurt if something happened to him and told him we love the dog, but not near as much as we love him. I reminded him of the “techniques” we use for retrieving the dog and decided it was time for me to engage in some {serious dog obedience training}.
After the hype calmed down…
I began pondering this event.
I thought to myself…
“How often do we chase things with all our might and end up further and further away from our original destination?”
You see… My son had the best of intentions… He wanted to catch our dog and bring him back to safety.
So… What went wrong?
He failed to recall the “dog catching” skills we taught him… the “technique” to catching the dog. He acted on impulse and chased the dog, rather than taking a moment to recall the skills we taught him regarding catching Lego. My son is a fast runner and thought he would use his track-fit legs to catch the dog. The dog is faster, smaller, and quite “skilled” at getting away from his masters. Therefore, the “technique” is the only thing that works… pepperoni, patience, and {never} chasing…
What does all this have to do with you and me?
You see… How often do we chase after things we think we need… desire… or want?
This frantic chase is often correlated to a subconscious fear of rejection or failure.
Why the chase?
We feel this innate desire to control our worlds… to follow our instincts… to do …{something}.
However…
We usually end up frazzled and without the “thing” we were chasing to begin with.
After the dog was safely home.
I was calm, relaxed, and breathing normally.
My son… was out of breath… frazzled… heart racing… exhausted… and angry.
You see… the chase left him stressed and upset.
The “technique” and active patience left me feeling relaxed and poised.
I want to ask you an important question…
What are you chasing?
In all the chasing do you continually find your further and further away from your goal?
You see… God has it all outlined in his word. We need only… read and study his word. Always be sure to listen to the “still small voice” that keeps us grounded in this frenzied and hurried world we live in.
We can live peaceful… not frenzied lives.
Rather than continually scurrying through life… chasing… chasing… chasing.
Resulting in exhaustion… stress… and overwhelming weariness.
Only to come to the realization that we have failed to achieve the goal we set out to achieve.
Following God is {always} the right way… He will never lead us astray!!!
STOP… chasing… chasing… chasing.
{Look up to the Heavens and ask for the wisdom and guidance… I promise you will find your more grounded, at peace, and relaxed.}
Most importantly… You will find life doesn’t have to be a frantic… empty… and exhausting chase.
When God is your pilot and you are the co-pilot — you will reach your destination.
{I Promise!!!}
The Flame Within 