My dog Mindy ran into the house, jumped on the couch and curled into a little shaking ball. I watched perplexed, thinking something outside scared her. She started to gnaw and lick her leg, followed by a race around the living room, then she would skulk down on her belly again. Each time Mindy would get up, she would run a few steps then bite at herself, then tuck her tail between her legs and find a pillow to hide behind on the sofa. I went to her and found out that she had been bitten or stung in a few places. For the next several days all she could focus on were these sores. I would try to feed her, pet her, soothe her and she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the irritation. I knew the wounds would heal faster if she didn’t constantly pick at them. All Mindy knew was that they were driving her crazy and she followed her animal instinct to make them go away. It was sad watching the shame she displayed for the things her body was doing that were out of her control.
How many times do I focus on the one thing that is bothering me instead of the big picture God has? I pick at it and obsess over it, believing I know the best way to take care of the irritation. Instead of permitting God to do His work, I allow my animal instinct to control me. On my worst days when I can’t see around the storm, I feel frustration and shame because I can’t fix it. Then I am reminded God sees the forest when all I can see are the trees. He reassures me that my suffering is nothing compared to the glory awaiting me in heaven!
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. ~2 Cor 4:17-18
