Resiliency, Persistence, and Scars

I've contemplated frequently these past 10 days about resiliency and persistence by watching my dog. I think at some point in the last 2 or 3 days Jake has come to realize the cone will be on his head for a while. The first several days he exerted much effort to get that thing off, obviously to no avail. He's recently been feisty and has figured out how to be active in spite of it. Further I've heard many stories about dogs who lose a leg (or two) but they just continue on with life and figure out their way around it. They seem to be so resilient. And persistent - let me tell you...the pictures below show how determined Jake was to play. He tried for several minutes to get his kitty in his mouth. Because of the cone it kept getting pushed around but eventually he got it.

I've thought about all this in the context of my spiritual life. I have wounds, scars, and permanent limps as the result of spiritual warfare. The truth is if a person doesn't have battle wounds, they're probably not in the midst of the battle. When we're doing what God wants us to do, we find a bullseye on our backs.

I'm also pretty sure God has put a cone or two around my neck over the years to help me focus on Him and not spend so much time looking at others around me. In the spiritual realm, peripheral vision is almost always detrimental. Keeping our eyes fixed on Christ is the key to victory in the Christian life. Focusing on the gifts and talents of others is a huge mistake. Wanting to fulfill the destiny Christ has for someone else is also a big no-no.

What if, like Jake, we stopped fighting what God has for us in this moment and just settled into keeping momentum? What if we persisted even when we're wounded? What if we didn't give up and believed God to do what he said he would do?

Resiliency. Persistence. So under emphasized yet so important.

And on that note, here's the pictures of Jake trying to play with his kitty....and then just look at Sam--doesn't he look as if he's feeling neglected? He's not but he acts like it. Can you say n-a-u-g-h-t-y?

Ahhhh, at last....