Fuzzy Fears

My sister was here a week ago with her children, her husband, and her brand new baby...well..."baby" cockapoo, Sadie. She is adorable, sweet, and very fuzzy!

It's always a crazy time of seven children buzzing around, upstairs, downstairs, inside, outside...doors opening, doors shutting, shrieks, giggles....and the ever present child standing at the refrigerator, filling up a cup for a drink of water to replenish that sweaty little head...which leads to the many, many cups on top of the counter!

My youngest son Brooks got a chance to meet Sadie too, and at just 17 months and not much time logged in around animals, it turned out to be quite an experience. While the older kids could hardly wait to meet her, Brooks had no idea how long the next few days would be for him.

He was terrified of her. He was shaking, trembling, screaming, teary-eyed frightened of her. Every time she came into the room, the same routine would happen...the anxiety level would sky rocket...the shakes would begin...and the people in the room with Brooks were wishing they were not!

No matter what we did, what we said, it would just go on an on until either Brooks or Sadie left the room...or Sadie feel asleep. Honestly, it was kind of miserable.

If the puppy started to come into the room Brooks was in, I would quickly pick him up and tell him it was all okay, to settle down, and, "Look Brooks how sweet the puppy is! Awww....she is so cute, don't you want to pet her?" And it never worked, he never settled down until once again the two were in separate rooms.

I began to think about the fact that I was so much bigger than Sadie, so much bigger than Brooks. And here I was holding Brooks. He was perfectly safe. No matter what, Sadie couldn't jump high enough to touch him. I was too tall and she was too small. It just wasn't going to happen.

His fears were totally unwarranted.... yet the anxiety, the tears, and the screams continued.

How many times do I do this with the Lord?

He is SO much bigger than all my fears and definitely big enough to handle my enemy. He is always holding me. No matter how high those fears can jump, they can't hurt me when I am in His arms. This is a fact, a truth, a reality.

Sometimes I just forget that He is holding me.

As those days went by and my patience worn thin...I remember thinking, "This is ridiculous Brooks...babes I am holding you...You are safe. Mommy isn't going to let the puppy hurt you! She can't even reach you!"

And then that sweet, small voice with a big Word came to me..."You do this too....You cry, you shake, you fear....and yet I am holding you. I am bigger than all those things and I have your back...always."

That was all I needed to see the situation differently...and two things happened.

The first thing was I began to realize how crazy some of those fears truly are.

And the second....I had much more compassion for my son.

On a side note, this story had a neat ending. The night before Sadie went home, Brooks was outside in the yard and Sadie was near by. He gradually kept creeping towards her...until finally he touched her....Yes, he did this first by putting his hand behind his back and touching her without having to look at her...but he touched her! And that moment led to another one where he quickly patted her head.

It was beautiful to see victory and to celebrate that with him....the way I know my Father must celebrate each little one with me...