Scared in the Cornstalks

A crisp Fall day called for an afternoon trip to a nearby farm with a niece and nephew in tow.  

We rode the whimsical tire horse.
We saw & smelled the farm animals.
We rode on a pumpkin train.
We slide down old barrels into a cloud of hay dust.
We peddled around the race track on small tricycles.
We scarfed down warm pumpkin donuts and slurped frozen cider.
We took a hay ride to the corn maze.
We fought the scary corn stalks through the maze that would never end.

Okay, so maybe that last sentence is a little over dramatic, but if you were any where near us in the corn maze you would have thought we were being attacked by the most vicious of monsters.  

A little background.  My nephew is 2, a tank and ready to try anything.  

Now, envision with me a trail through the corn stalks. 
Blue sky overhead and a gentle hum of the electric lines.
Tall corn on either side of us.  
No one else around.  
We forged into the maze with eager anticipation and no fear.  

We walked no more than 50 yards when he lost it.  Would not walk any further.  Trying to crawl up my body to get away from the ground.  I thought he was just being a little dramatic and kept moving forward.  He continued to howl and shake with fright.  I scooped him up and we continued.  Remember my description above about him being a tank of a kid?  He is.  After getting turned around a few times and still no where near the end, I set him down again and thought we could make it through walking hand in hand.  Our scout, my niece, was happily trying to find the end at the pumpkin patch.  I attempted to set him down to walk yet again.  More howling.  

Looking down I see what has caused his little heart to almost beat out of his chest.  A corn stalk stump.  I am not sure what he thought they were, but apparently they were not friendly.  I tried to show him it wasn't going to move or come after him by kicking a few...he tried and then continued to howl.  I picked up him, calmed him and assured him I would not put him down again.  He happily stayed on my shoulders as we amazingly made it to the exit of the maze.  

My nephew's fear of the unknown reminded me of fears we often associate to the unknown of surrendering to God.  

We know He is good.
We know He wants what is best.
We know He would not ask to do something without going before us.
We know He loves us.
We know...and yet our minds have triggered a very different response and we howl.  

We feel our hearts begin to beat faster.
We feel the hairs on the back of our neck prickle with anticipation.

We are fearful.
We are uncertain.

Then he whispers a reminder to us: "I am the Lord your God..."

This phrase is repeated over 40 times in the Old Testament to remind the Israelites whose they were.  They heard when they had forgotten their way and pursued selfish endeavors.  They heard it when they were faced with tribulation and oppression.  They heard it when he established himself as ruler and head.  They heard it remind them of WHO he was and WHAT he has done for them since they seemed to forget.  

Aren't we just like the Israelites who forget who God really is and all He has done for us?  
When faced with a trial, we fret.
When faced with the unknown, we shake.
When faced with our own inadequacy, we hide.

Like my nephew, we are picked up, dusted off and carried.

I am the Lord your God.