Blood-Shot Eyes and
Things That Go Bump in the Night.
Somewhere between
sleep and awake was when I first heard it, you know, that place where
everything is in slow-motion and you’re not sure what is real and what is a
dream. It was dark and I prodded my sleepy brain awake to see if I would hear
it again. My skin prickled and I shivered as the sound of footsteps pass where I
lay. I quickly threw the covers over my head and arranged a small peek hole so I
could see what was going on.
When I looked out
of the small opening I was horrified! There staring right back at me was an
enormous, bloodshot eye. I clamped my eyes shut and remained still as a rock in
hopes the creature would not see me there. I heard the soft shooshing sound of
the back sliding door open and close, and then all was quiet.
As I lay there my imagination ran wild. What
was that? What evil could possibly be stalking our house in the middle of the
night? Next time I will keep my eyes closed so they can’t read my mind, or
worse, take over my body! I barely survived!
I’m sure we all
have stories like this from childhood. When we enter adulthood, those imaginary
eyes and frightening sounds come in different forms. Thoughts and uncertainties
persistently plague our minds and make our lives miserable.
Worry enters our
mind as freely as wind, mixing with bad memories and hidden phobias. Fear of sickness and diseases, thoughts of panic
for our children or spouses safety, worries that we won’t have enough money
consume our thoughts and make our stomachs churn with acid.
“A thought may seem
harmless, but if it becomes toxic, it can become physically, emotionally or spiritually
dangerous. Every time you have a
thought, it is actively changing your brain and your body- for better or for
worse.” Dr. Caroline Leaf Ph.D.
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead
of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness,
everything coming together for the good, will come and settle you down. It’s
wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing
it all up, my friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and
meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-
the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not
things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and
saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will
work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
Philippians 4:7, 8 (MSG)
Changing my thought
patterns from toxic and rerouting them to the truth of the word can be tricky
and take dedication.
It’s easy to stay
in my familiar rut and become a casualty of my emotions. Commanding my brain to
do the unusual takes effort, climbing out of that negative pit requires
calculated foot work; peace, wholeness and health are my motivators.
After complaining
to my mother multiple times she finally stayed up to see what was going on. It seems
one of my brothers was sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night to
take a joy ride in my oldest brother’s new truck. She sat hidden in a corner
and watched him leave; he didn’t even pause to look through my peek hole with
his giant blood shot eye.
When the truth was
brought to light by my mom, my fears melted; the realization that those silly
sounds couldn’t hurt me had me sleeping peacefully. Of course it was a while before
my brother had peace.
Using God’s word as
my guide I can practice throwing those concerns on the one who truly makes
everything work for my good. After a while I can see those fears for what they
really are; exaggerated imaginations and scare tactics, keeping me frozen in
fear and defeat.
