All Bark, No Plight

Several times a day our little outside dog, Tiger, goes into a barking frenzy.  It drives me crazy (not a far drive, mind you :)! 

I wouldn't mind if Tiger was barking at the goats that live in the field behind the house.  I wouldn't mind if he was barking at the squirrels that frequently run along the trees and top of the fence.  I wouldn't mind if he barked at thing that made sense, but he doesn't.  No, he barks at weird things.  Things that can't do anything to him. 

Tiger barks at a newspaper that has somehow gotten in the backyard.  He barks at a little kiddie basketball goal that is laying down on its side.  The other day he was barking at the door, looking into the French door windows.  Maybe he was barking at his reflection?  Anyway, he's barking at things that aren't bothering him.

Tiger barks at things day after day and night after night  that can't cause him any harm at all.  It's like he is afraid of everything....even the wind....and that's not a good thing to be afraid of the wind when you're living in Oklahoma!

He's kind of like us some times, isn't he?  Some of us worry about the same things day after day - things that either are not going to happen or will most likely not happen.  It doesn't make any sense, does it?  It seems crazy! 

Tiger needs to learn that he doesn't have anything to bark at most of the time.  He needs to learn that he doesn't have to be afraid of everything.  He needs to realize that he is protected by most of the dangerous things that he could find outside of the big backyard.  Maybe he needs a friend?  I wonder...

We don't have to worry or be afraid. God will take care of us.  We have a friend - someone we can count on.  Jesus is that friend.  He wants to be our friend.

Casting all your care on him; for he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

This whole passage tells us not to worry:  Matthew 6:25-34

You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. John 15: 14

I found a few quotes about worry that I would like to share:

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.  

There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever. Mahatma Gandhi