3 May, 2007
Keep your guard
Boy foils coyote attack on baby nephew
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Wildlife officials are investigating what could be the first coyote attack on a human in New Jersey following a backyard attack on a toddler that was foiled by an 11-year-old.
Playing in the back yard of his Middletown Township home with his 22-month-old nephew, 11-year-old Ryan Palludan first thought the animal that bolted into the yard just before dark was a deer.
But when it grabbed little Liam Sadler in its jaws, Palludan instinctively sprang into action, yelling and kicking at the attacker which was later determined to be a coyote.
“It ran real fast, and in 10 seconds it was on Liam’s back, biting the back of his head and his neck,” Palludan said. “My dad and I chased it into the woods, and my sister got Liam inside.
The toddler’s grandfather, Philip Palludan, who says he is familiar with coyotes having seen them out West, said the animal that attacked the toddler was about the size of a German shepherd.
photo courtesy nctcimagelibrary.com & story chron.com, 4/12/07
Philippians 4:6-7
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
God's living Holy Spirit dwells in the lives of all followers of Christ. The apostle Paul is teaching us that His Spirit will guard our heart and mind by giving us God's peace. That's an incredible security system! Are you using it?
The boy who protected his little nephew had first thought that a deer was running through the yard and was then surprised to realize that they were being attacked by a coyote!
Satan often cleverly disguises his attacks on us and we are caught off guard. Sometimes it's the difficult circumstances of life that catch us off guard and we find ourselves consumed in the jaws of worry.
That's why it's so important to trust God no matter what. He never changes. His love is constant. He has a perfect plan and purpose for us.
Paul's advice for us is to turn our worries into prayers. Whenever we start to worry, we should stop and pray. The result is God's peace which is different form the world's peace. Peace is not found in positive thinking or focusing on our "happy place", but it is discovered in trusting God because we know that He is in complete control. Let God's peace guard your heart against being anxious about life.
- Memorize today's scripture as a reminder of how to let God guard your heart and mind every day.
- Keep a written list of what you worry about. Turn this list into a daily prayer list. At the end of the month, evaluate what God has taught you about His peace guarding your heart and mind.
- Pray right now. Thank God for the power of His Spirit living in you. Confess any way in which you have been going through the motions of being a Christian and finding yourself living in anything but God's peace. Ask Jesus to give you the faith and discipline you need to consistently turn your worries into trusting prayers. Thank Jesus for His peace which will guard your heart and mind. It is beyond human understanding!
- Share what you've read and learned today with a friend who needs some encouragement in dealing with worry.
- When someone in your "storysphere" talks about something they are worried about, let them know that you will pray for them. (Then make sure you do!) Remember that part of God's Story is that He often uses change or conflict to help people see their need for Jesus.
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