YOU MAKE ME BRAVE

I saw a huge deer step out of the brush and stand erect, his towering rack aloft. A mix of curiosity and fear was in his eyes; he was clearly ready to bolt for safety at a moment's notice. I've seen that very same look many times while at the side of a hospital bed, or across my desk as a couple shared their dire circumstances, or in the mirror as I faced my own fears. God did not create mankind as instinctual animals, but rather, He made us "in His image". He gave us the capacity to change our circumstances, not just react to them. LORD God, You make me brave; Your rod and staff giving comfort, guidance and protection through every valley.