Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Seizing the moment



The story of Tobit has some amazing lessons for us, especially this excerpt: Now when the boy [Tobit] went down to wash his feet in the river, a large fish suddenly leaped out of the water and tried to swallow his foot. He shouted in alarm. But the angel said to him, "Take hold of the fish and don't let it get away!" The boys seized the fish and hauled it up on the shore...(Tobit 6: 2-4)  This is truly an example of seizing the moment and making the most of a situation. 

The boy Tobit was terrified of the "big fish" that came to "swallow his foot." He could have solved the problem by running away. But instead he followed the angels' advice to grab the fish in the act of attacking him, haul it up on the shore, and cut it up. More than amazing, the very thing that threatened Tobit held the potion to deliver his soon to be wife from her demon and the medicine for curing his father's blindness.

What a story for us. It doesn't just remind us that we are not helpless in the face of the events we encounter. It reminds us that what threatens to bite us may very well hold some special gift for us. 

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