Not too long ago, my son and I were at the other end of the city – the part of the city where I lived when I was about ten years old. Like many parents, I had recounted stories about my childhood to him – that included the story of my long and lonely walks to school during those cold winter days. I drove around the old neighbourhood and showed him my primary school and the townhouse I lived in.
“Mom!” he said, “I thought you told me your school was like two miles away?! It’s like not even a block away!” A flashback to my childhood flooded my mind as I looked at my former home, and then the school, and then my home again. He was right, it was – at the very most – half a city block away. It was so much farther when I was smaller!
It seems that I have made a habit throughout my life of seeing things bigger than they are. I am far too easily intimidated when it comes to things that seem out of my reach, or difficult. I let fear settle in and over-power me as if I’m a tiny little minnow swimming about in the sea. Lately however, thanks be to God, I have come to realize that there is nothing – no one – greater and more powerful than He is. He is for me and not against me. He’s on my side. He cares about the small details of my life – every detail. When I look at what seems to be a battle before me, instead of feeling small and insignificant, I need to run to Him – I need a new perspective – His perspective – on every “battle” before me.
““When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."
The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"
"But Lord , " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." Judges 6:12-14.
