Grab Life By The Tail

My dog 'Harley' hates squirrels. He hates them with a passion. He will tear through a foot of snow (about his own height) to get at one of those rascally critters. At times, he even hallucinates that a squirrel has invaded his domain. In those moments, the inside of the house is quite peaceful.
I remember the day he finally caught one. Out the back door and off the deck he flew, snatching the squirrel by the tail as it climbed to the top of the fence. The problem is, you really do not want to catch a squirrel by the tail. It makes them mad. Sure enough, the squirrel turned and latched on to the top of Harely's scruffy head. (He is a long-haired Jack Russell Terrorist) The dog took off across the yard, shaking his head with a fury while the little rodent held on for dear life. It continued as long as Harely had the little guy's tail in his mouth. He didn't chase squirrels again for a week or two.
Life can be like Harley and the squirrel. In fact, I believe God meant it to be that kind of adventure. Jesus said in John 10:10, "It is only the enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that you might have life to the fullest."
Wow! From time to time, people get so beaten up by life that it becomes easy to simply give up, surrender to the inevitible. But belief in Christ is a violent act of the will that turns from the things that kill, to placing faith in the only one who can give real life. That would be Jesus.
So, no matter what circumstances surround you, grab life by the fury little tail and hang on! More importantly, take hold of Jesus. An adventure awaits. Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim