Before the Rain Fell …

… I fought an army of Triffids.[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqrLqg3w6AU[/embedyt]Okay, so not quite.Here\’s the thing: our pastor started a series two Sundays ago about success — obstacles, how to achieve it, and so on are part of the messages that will span several weeks. One of the stories he mentioned yesterday was that of David and Goliath: although the giant had managed to frighten the entire populace and caused them to run away, David ran toward him. Not only did he go straight at Goliath, David told him that he would take his head.That\’s a man (well, boy at the time) who was all about success.So the point of the message was that if we run from our anxieties, they get larger. Our fear gets bigger. However, if we confront the issue(s) head-on, they diminish and become more manageable.Pastor Marco suggested we do a worst-scenario assessment. Look at the problem or issue and determine what would be the worst thing that might happen.Back to the Triffids.I took a break last week out back; I sat in the sun, watching my dogs dash about in the yard and suddenly, something from inside the greenhouse caught my attention. This \’something\’ presented an immediate problem because there was not supposed to be anything in there. I cautiously opened the door and after a moment\’s shock, began to laugh like a braying donkey.  Unbeknownst to me, weeds that had not grown in the yard itself had taken residence in the warm and dry confines of my greenhouse. That\’s funny, right? But when thoughts of what could possibly be living in there float around in your head, not so much.Our plan was to clean it out this weekend, but what had happened was … I took a nap instead. Yeah, so sue me.The original plan was to move the whole greenhouse, lift it up and away from the offending weeds. I remembered before the nap (during service yesterday, in fact, when I thought of fighting the Triffids head on like David had done with Goliath … yes, I was thinking of a 60\’s horror movie during the sermon. But it applied, so hush) that I had a table holding the back of the greenhouse down and it had a large dirt-filled flower pot on it. It gets windy here, so the bricks on shelves and the table keep the house from taking flight when gusts get up to 70+ mph. So a different plan was necessary and I needed to sleep to discover it … or something. That might be an excuse for the nap. But anyway …This morning, it was overcast and slightly breezy — a perfect day for tackling Triffids. Because, what had happened was … they like warmer climates, like lizards. Or something. Sure. Since it wasn\’t bright sunny, they would be sluggish and I could attack, head on, like Pastor Marco said we should when confronted with a problem.I was properly suited up for my fight:As good fortune would have it, there was a pair of safety goggles on the kitchen table. I had a box of face masks in the garage that I keep for such expeditions (I used them when I cleaned the garage and the shed to keep the dust out of my nose and mouth). Gloves, because who wants to touch Triffids with their bare hands?!It took less than a half hour.I won the battle before a single raindrop fell.It was epic.Movie-worthy.Or maybe not.It did teach me a lesson — that I can tackle things that make me uncomfortable (I was truly creeped out by the idea of climbing amongst those tall weeds. Some were up to my chest in height), by myself, and win.

What battles do you need to fight today?