Once is all it takes

I have lived in my house for four years. I have used my garage door nearly everyday for each of those four years - until recently. Back in the spring, we were headed out and a black snake was coming through the crack in the door. A few weeks after that, a mouse ran behind some tables when I opened the door. Then, we had a lizard that came to live in the same spot and would dash away when the door was opened. I told Ryan that I had had it and I was never using that door again. He dutififully put steel wool in the crack and all was well. However, this past week, the steel wool fell out. I have found myself fearful of the door again. A couple of nights ago, we came in and the light was off (it normally cuts on when you come in) and I wouldn't reach my hand to the switch because I was afraid of some varmin that would be there waiting to bite me. Here is the point of this story - it bothers me that out of the approxiamate 1,460 days I have lived in this house - because of 4 "mishaps" I don't want to use the door. What about the 1,456 days when NOTHING happened? Why is it true in our lives that the bad WAY outweighs the good? I took it for granted that I could walk out the door free of anything "getting" me until the day that reality caused me to doubt. It made me start to think of my children and the people around me - how we could say 1,456 nice things and 4 negative but the negative would be what we would always remember. I want to be an encourager, I want people around me to know that it is my intention to build up - not tear down. I don't want people stepping around me in fear like I now have to do in my garage. I'm working on it, I'm working on it! :)