Monday, August 4, 2008

Fences

Jackie and I were walking down the street recently.
Nightly walk.
Fitness.
Tah tah.

50 yards from home we were deep in conversation and suddenly out of nowhere came a very loud and harsh bark - deep - from a 500 pound dog (!). Involuntarily, I shifted (in the air) to the left (away from the sound) and tried to calm down...heart racing, face flushed.
Wife laughing.

Then I figured out that the dog was behind a fence, and we were probably safe.
Heh, heh.

Now, before you respond to this with the language of persecution, let me tell you that early on I had a similar experience when walking. And a little dog came down the flight of stairs and took out a piece of my flesh. (I had short pants on...Boy Scout days!) I ended up needing some quick medical care.
No fun.

So, I involuntarily "jump left" on occasions like this.

And I am very grateful for fences.

Been bitten lately?
Oh, not by a dog, but by TV or a movie, or anger that produced some words unfortunate, or by temptations to greed or sloth or malice?

Here's an idea.
Before the "bark," try building a fence.

Pull the plug.
Set new standards.
Form a partnership against the weakness with someone.
Memorize a verse of scripture that calls for right responses.
Determine the action you will take before you ever hear "the bark."

Believe me, it's a lot better to build a fence early....
...than to give your flesh to the barking dogs.

Selah.

Dave

1 comment:

chrissy said...

Pastor Dave, thanks for the practical words of wisdom and encourgement. The story is a great visual and helps makes application seem easy enough...Thanks for sharing the GOoD stuff. luvya Cc