Patterns in Life Are Like Little Foxes

Most of us are quite aware of the lions, the bears, and the wolves who surround us in our daily interactions with flesh and blood. Surely, when we are hiking the beautiful terrains of Colorado, Montana, or Alaska we are most mindful of these four-legged threats to limb and life.

Oh, but never doubt the power of the two-legged human versions of lions, bears, and wolves when flesh and blood are rankled! For truly, they are very similar in behavior to the threats of these four-legged creatures.

Of course the two-legged and four- legged rankling is usually set off by challenges to territory, dominion, and survival.

Be forewarned: the two-legged version can behave much like the four-legged version in viciousness and total disregard for well-being. They, too, will viciously attack, eat you up, and cast the remains of your carcass aside while walking away and licking their lips in satisfaction, all the while slurring their snarly words of self-justification.

These patterns of behavior in life are much like the little foxes that seem harmless and look pretty. However, they will absolutely decimate the vineyards of our lives if left to have their way among our life efforts.

More often than the lion, bear, and wolf – these little foxes among us masquerade as two-legged beings, who seem likeable, professional, and oh, so gifted. Why do we casually dismiss (or worse, tolerate) the repeated destructive patterns of behavior by the little foxes among us?

The Real Root of the Danger

The very presence of the little foxes among us should create alarm. This alarm is not so much because of their physical stature, but rather because of what we know about the real root of danger – their patterns of destructive behavior.

The destructive behavior of little foxes includes the patterns of:

• continually undermining the foundation of the vineyard,
• meddling with the roots of our efforts, and
• stealing the fruit of the plan.

Maybe we need to be most concerned about the patterns of behavior of the flesh and blood around us, who mimic that of the little foxes.

After all, in the wild the little foxes are known to prefer solitary operations that provide singular support of “I, I, I.” Thus, they are perpetually driven to prey, stalk, and attack!

Here’s the root truth: the core threat of the little foxes is to the foundations of our overall life efforts – our vines.

These vines, representing our life efforts, are supported by our thoughts, our feelings, our self-identity, our trust, our confidence, our purposes, and so much more.

Eons of wisdom tells us that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine.

It’s Their Pattern of Behavior

Wisdom’s implication is to not ignore and not abide with the little foxes. Why? Because it is the patterned behavior of the little foxes that spoils the vine. But, how?

• They are sneaky menaces whose core self-willed intentions are revealed through actions, attitudes, words, and ideas that are harmful to our well-being. Foxes are mischievous and troublesome as they undermine and wreak havoc all around us, mostly silently. In other words, they do not have our best interests at heart; rather, they have their self-willed interests on the throne – always. They are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.
• They continually dig and create useless holes in the foundations that are laid for successful outcomes. Little foxes are habitually undoing, fracturing, and challenging our efforts. They untiringly burrow into our vineyards demanding explanations, especially about what their part is in the plan. As exhausting, they demand continual convincing about the validity of the plans, especially about how their way will fit into the plans. They are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.

The little foxes among us will wear us out with false sweetness by continually compelling us to explain how our way will become successful – and ultimately meet their needs.

• They bite and gnaw on the new growth of our vines – those fresh progressions and results with people and processes that are achieved within our plans. The impact of their gnawing creates restraints, injuries, and divisions in the overall health and lifeline of our team – crushing our good beginnings and spoiling the roots. Their nature is to do their gnawing mostly in quietness and in secret, all the while sneakily denying their trifling and aggravating ways. They are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.
• They steal and consume for themselves the very fruit of our labors. Rather than becoming a genuine part of the team effort, they persistently work alone to do their own thing even while they call their efforts unifying. This behavior undermines the entire efforts supporting our plans by thwarting the full development of fruit. They are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.

Any fruit that does appear on the true teamwork vine is quickly consumed by the little foxes, even as they proclaim it as, “good, tasty, and mine!” Always remember, they are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.

When they so desire the patterned behavior of the little foxes will pursue, kill, and consume those flesh and blood beings who are strategically deemed smaller than themselves. Yes, they not only burrow into the foundations, gnaw on the vines, and consume the fruit – they also attack the human resources within our plans.

Anyone who provides truth, life, and resources toward the success of our plans is fair game for the destructive patterned behavioral attack of the little foxes. Never doubt, it’s a strategically menacing attack because it’s aimed at the select few, who can be picked off without everyone else in the vineyard knowing about the nasty behavioral deeds of the little foxes.

These menacing efforts are all about undermining and destroying just enough of our resources to keep themselves in the forefront of the operations. They are well-known for holding their ground, no matter how much is destroyed or who is killed in their wake.

In this sinister way, the little foxes prop up their ongoing value and proclaim their way as “being right all along.” And, gosh by golly, let the rest of us earthlings never forget that the little foxes have professional titles and clout, thus a right to be there!

They are the little foxes that spoil the life vine of our peace, joy, and efforts.

Wrapping Up These Little Foxes

When we ignore eons of wisdom and choose to play patty-cake with the little foxes, we will reap the results of their havoc upon the teamwork efforts of our life vine.

Part of the destructive results of the little foxes are that we will become out-worked by their chaos; out-of-energy by their multiplied created workload; and out-numbered by their self-multiplication.

It is a fact that foxes are known to proliferate and overtake. Come to think of it: isn’t this overtaking dynamic really at the root of maintaining one’s territory, dominion, and survival? Therefore, the core problem with playing patty-cake with the little foxes is that their motive is always to overtake; never to partner in unity and harmony with us.

Oh, and don’t be fooled: their kind of overtaking is always and only about themselves – not about the best interests of everyone – even as they proclaim their undying love for all.

Therefore, there only remains for the rest of us the option of existing and getting to work for the little foxes – if we continue to tolerate their destructive patterns of behavior.