Reading The Anchorage Press some time ago, I ran across some items in one of my favorite sections, called News of the Weird. The story which caught my eye detailed the event and injury of a young man floating on a tube down the Clark River, near Missoula, Montana. As he enjoyed an original version of the “lazy river”, found at most modern water parks, he was suddenly smashed by a large object from above!
BOOM! OUCH! WHAT THE HECK!
Seems another man, standing on the bridge above, jumped off without looking below first, and landed on the poor, unsuspecting rafter below. Can you imagine how much of a shock that would have been? I am sure this guy never considered he might need to keep a wary eye skyward, for anything more than bird bombs.
I HAVE A TINY, TINY DOG!!!
Our family pet, a miracle dog, named Haleakala.
On regular occasion, during the day and night, our precious, little dog has to go outside to do the business we don’t want her to do in the house. During the day, it almost never crosses my mind. But, at night, every time I let her out in the backyard, with the limited cone of light the porch light provides, I imagine that a hawk, eagle, or owl swoops down to try and take her for a snack. Now, it’s unlikely to happen. We’ve never actually seen any of those flying creatures in, or near, our backyard. But, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there! It’s Alaska, after all, and anything can happen.
BIBLE REFERENCE AHEAD!
This made me think of a passage from Isaiah 38:14:
English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Like a swallow or a crane I chirp;
I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!
The imagery we find here is kind of like my little puppy; exposed, helpless in the face of an oppressor, and bait for the predator. The writer says he’s weary from scanning the skies for the potential, swooping attack from above. Unlike the tube incident, at least this character is watching! But in all that watching, there is no rest. There can be no enjoyment of life as long as you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, the hammer to fall, or the Jack-in-the-Box to pop!
Maybe you feel that way sometimes. Maybe you feel that way all the time! What we also find in this passage, is the writer understands the remedy he must apply.
O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!
Stop expecting the worst, even if the worst is a good possibility. If you love the Lord, you have an advocate, and a protector. Look forward, not above. Trust in the Lord. He is good, and He loves you.