My wife and I woke up to this scene today:

I watched as the bear moseyed around the neighborhood, making sure everyone closed their trash containers, and telling the kids that only they could prevent forest fires.

Along comes Barky McBarksalot to confront the 600 pounds of omnivore.  Normally bears run from aggravators, but this bear looked more like he wanted to tell the dog, “Shhh, you don’t need to bark.”  (As if he too, was woken up by barking this morning). As I watched, I was sure the bear and dog were going to “play dentist” at any moment.  (“Let me check those teeth for you…”), but… 

The bear went on his way and found no open containers (by the way, GREAT JOB neighborhood!) and the dog had to go back home and change his Facebook status to, “not as strong as I thought; in Telluride”.

I feel that way when I fight God.  

I fight God because I want my way and not God’s way.
I fight God because I am stubborn.
I fight God because I love to hear my voice. (I would rather hear that aggrivating barking than silence.)

And I know… I know that if He wanted to, God could just wipe me out. If I were God, I would want to wipe me out.

God looks at me instead and says, “Shhhh. Tree, you don’t need to bark.”

There is one big difference between me and God, and a bear and a dog: When the dog looses the fight, he cowers in the corner.  When I lose the fight, I walk / limp next to God.

If you are fighting with God today, I hope you loose quickly. Then, look beside you, you are invited to walk next to the King – me too.  That is what it means to be in the family of God.

Genesis 32