Pursued or Stalked?

pursued

Pursued or Stalked?

Lately, I’ve considered the difference between the words pursued and stalked. They are synonyms, but in my mind, they have two very different meanings.

Pursued

When my son was in elementary school he was pursued, and he didn’t like it one bit. The pursuit occurred when we visited my mother’s home in Georgia. The pursuer was the granddaughter of one of my mother’s friends.

girl pursingElizabeth was a cute little girl. She was several years younger than my son. She liked him. A lot.

She chased him relentlessly. Giggling the whole while. For whatever reason, Elizabeth chose to call my son, Edna’s Boy, instead of his actual name.

I guess since she knew my mother’s name was Edna, it made sense to her that my son was Edna’s boy.

In an attempt to escape Elizabeth after she chased him all around my mom’s acreage, my son took drastic measures. He got into my mother’s car and locked the doors. Fortunately, it was cold out, so there was no fear of him becoming overheated.

In those days, cars had manual locks. No key necessary. You simply pushed the locking mechanism down with your fingers to lock the car door. Then you pushed it back up again to unlock it.

Anyone else remember that?

The only way for Elizabeth to reach my son was if he opened the door and car windowinvited her in.

Still, she didn’t give up. She pressed her face against the windows. Whenever he moved through the car, she followed him from one side to the other.

Elizabeth kept up her pursuit of Edna’s Boy until it was time for her to go home.

Relieved when his pursuer left, my son unlocked the door and exited the car. Even though he accomplished his goal of avoiding the girl who wouldn’t give up her pursuit, I believe he was a little disappointed she had gone home.

After Elizabeth grew up into the beautiful woman she is, I’m thinking my son may have wished he hadn’t worked so hard to avoid her.

Pursued by Jesus

We have someone Beautiful who pursues us, too. His name is Jesus. Although he calls us God’s child, he also knows us by name.

Even when we’ve locked ourselves in a car and refuse to acknowledge his existence, Jesus continues to pursue us.

He’s patient like that.

His pursuit of us is one we need not fear. In fact, it’s one we should run to. Jesus gives us rest when we’re weary. Peace when we’re stressed. And if we let him, he will guide us in the best path for our lives.

Stalked

It’s been several years since my husband and I went to my favorite resale shop, but the memory of being stalked is quite vivid.

I shopped at this store often. This day, as I happily flipped clothes hangers with record speed and placed items in my cart, I noticed a rather down-and-out looking man across the aisle. Watching me.

By now, my husband had wandered off in the store and was who knew where. At first, I felt empathy toward someone who I presumed might be homeless. I said a quick prayer for him and wondered what, if anything, I should do. I turned to look at the clothes on the rack behind me, and realized the man had edged closer.

Getting that tingly Spidey-sense, I headed for a different aisle. The man followed. I tried not to be paranoid, or stupid, and looked around for my husband. There was no sign of him.

As I moved from aisle to aisle, Stalker followed. Random chance? I don’t think so. After all, I doubt he was seriously interested in buying any women’s dresses.

shoe rackI worked my way to the back of the store and hid behind the shoe rack. I pulled out my cell phone.

The same cell phone that had a dead battery when I left the house.

The cell phone that I charged on the way to the store.

A phone that possibly had enough charge in it for one call. Only, my husband didn’t answer his phone at first. On the second try, he answered.

“I’m being stalked. Meet me in the shoes. Now.”

While I hid and waited, Stalker came up on my left. My husband came up on my right. After my Knight in Shining Armor arrived, Stalker followed us at a distance for a short time. I kept an eye out until I saw him leave the store. Empty handed.

Stalked by Satan

The Bible tells us that Satan, our enemy, roars around like a lion seeking those he can destroy. He’s a stalker of the highest magnitude. He is pure evil.

Satan stalks with the intent to draw us away from God. He stalks with the purpose of inflicting harm. There is not one bit of good in anything this fallen angel does.

But thanks be to God for his indescribable gift; our ultimate Knight in Shining Armor, Jesus. The One who comes to our defense when we call. No matter how weak our battery might be. Jesus defeated the forces of evil by his mighty power. We have no need to fear.

Your Turn

Elizabeth didn’t give up her pursuit of my son until her grandmother took her home. The reason was simple. She liked him.

Jesus won’t give up his pursuit of us, either. The reason is simple. He loves us. Isn’t it comforting to know we are loved by the One whose opinion and affection matter most?

I’d much rather keep the door of my heart open and enjoy Christ’s company instead of shutting him out, and later wishing I’d acted differently.

My stalker didn’t quit stalking me until he realized I wasn’t alone. Satan won’t stop stalking us, but he’ll never succeed, because in Christ, we are never alone.

Even when our life seems upside down and full of the awful, we don’t have to be afraid. Jesus remains right there with us. He offers comfort, protection, and blessing.

Pursued or stalked? Jesus pursues for our good. Satan stalks to destroy.

Having Jesus in our life makes all the difference.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Photos courtesy Pixabay.

Sandy Kirby Quandt

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history and travel. Passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She writes articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications. She is a regular contributor to Guideposts devotional books, as well as a conference speaker. Sandy has won multiple awards for her writing, including several years in the Young Adult category of the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. However, her greatest honor came when she received the Right Stuff Award at Space Camp for Educators. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out her blog at www.sandykirbyquandt.com

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