Out for a walk

Our family went out for a walk today with the dog.  A neighbor down the street was watering some flowers down by his mail box.  My husband said hi and the man's reply was less than friendly.  He told us that he had to change out his flowers and that we better not have our dog pee on his flowers.  We told him that we didn't allow our dog to do that.  This man then implied that maybe he would shoot our dog if we did let him.  We have never talked with this man before and I can see why.  He saw a family with a dog and decided we were one of those families who let their dog do that.  He was in all ways defensive and bitter.  At first I was irritated, but then I started to feel sorry for him.  I always do when someone lashes out on others who did nothing wrong.  There was no need for him to even talk to us let alone threaten our dog.  He made an assumption, he didn't care that we also don't like when people let their dogs pee on our flowers. 

When we got home I used it as a teaching lesson for my son.  This man might have been having a bad day and was frustrated about his flowers, but that doesn't excuse bad behavior.  Nor does that excuse blaming others who didn't do anything wrong.  We can't pick our neighbors and we can't always be friends with them.  When you assume something and are dead set on your beliefs then you may find out that you are the one who looks like the fool in the end.  Thankfully my kids did not hear what he said about our dog or the tears would have started to flow. 

I can see that the enemy was out to ruin our walk.  Just a simple thing, a walk around the block, but some much needed family time.  Later on our walk the kids were being difficult so we decided to come home early.  When you have a Kingdom perspective you can start to see the enemy take shape, the invisible becomes visible.  Obviously I did not see a demon, but I could easily see the result from their handy work.  Surprise attacks are a common move, but just as dangerous are the slowly inching attacks that don't really seem like anything at all.  The enemy will use an means necessary to separate a family.  He knows that if we are so busy fighting and angry at each other we will not let God in.  This will destroy any family that doesn't see that they are being separated.  Then it might only take one big thing to dissolve the union the God put together.