Running Scared

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

I love running.

Okay, so that’s a lie. I love the feeling when I’m done running, and that makes the actual act of running worth it. Fortunately, Squirrel is an excellent running buddy. 

…unless he sees a fox and tries to sprint across the road in front of a speeding SUV to catch it, dragging me along for a little near-death excitement…but that’s another post for another time. 

Let’s just say that 98% of the time, I love having the joy of Squirrel’s company as we traverse the many streets and trails by our house. 

Like most rescues, Squirrel has a nervous personality. I don’t think any dog really likes loud noises, but Squirrel is more afraid than most. He has a deep fear of the loud cars and trucks that rattle passed us as we run, which can be tricky because there are few quiet streets around where I live outside of Washington, D.C. There’s only this one, 1 1/2 mile loop that he’s totally comfortable with, which could lead to some mind-numbingly boring long runs if we were never to deviate from that route.

I have discovered, however, that Squirrel grows exponentially more comfortable when I am in between him and the traffic.

Sometimes Squirrel’s overreaction to traffic can be frustrating. He is supposed to run on my left. For the most part this means I’m naturally the one closest to the road, but sometimes there is only a sidewalk on the “wrong” side of the street. This leads to me gasping up hills, dragging 60lb of dramatic, cowering Labrador behind me as a yellow VW Bug whizzes passed. Which I hope we can all agree is not the most intimidating of cars.

Like I said, Squirrel’s need to always be on the inside can sometimes be annoying, but for the most part I actually find it endearing. He’s really not that much further away from the cars when on the inside - maybe three to four more feet, max - but there is clearly something in him that feels safer when I am in between him and the vehicles speeding by us. 

My dad is always a stickler about walking on the outside when walking with the family. Similar to running with Squirrel, our family order really wouldn’t make much of a difference if a Ford F-150 lost control and plowed into us. Inside or outside we’re both going to be crepes minus the Nutella. But, like Squirrel, I still feel safer just by my father’s presence.

How much more powerful is my heavenly father’s presence. I will probably wrestle with fear and an overactive imagination for the rest of my life. Yet, I am learning that if, when my worries begin to spiral out of control, I can remember that God stands between me and the threat, my fear abates. No trouble is a match for him, whether VW Bug-sized, or Semi-sized. Oh, I will still encounter troubles - Jesus was upfront about that - but take a heart: God has overcome the world.