Devotional for 1/22/13

Just a Dog Gone Moment

It is the last day of house-dog sitting for friends and I am anxious to get back to my own space and my own bed.

It has been successful because now I have my own little “Abby” and “Bosley is a Lab-mix and rather aggressive toward other dogs. However he has been tolerant of Abby even though, being a puppy, she wants to play and he is a “grumpy old man”.

Back to my last day; I have backed my car up to the garage door and am in the process of taking load after load to the car. (It is much more work now because I have to move Abby also.)

As I take the loads to the car I leave the doors open and each time there is Abby at the house door with Bosley behind her. Finally I am all packed and ready to leave but I want to give Bosley a treat before I go. And where is Bosley? Not in the house and not in the back yard. Bosley has escaped to freedom.

Here is where I “Trust the Lord with all my heart” NOT! In my mind I think, "He's been taken to the pound!", or the possibility of him attacking another dog, or me paying to have him rescued, and all sorts of worst case scenarios. Panicked, I grab Abby and drive around the neighborhood but Bosley is nowhere to be found. Then I take Abby out on her leash, thinking I guess, that my little blood-hound (all seven pounds of her) would sniff Bosley out.

There is a young man who comes to walk Bosley every night so as a last resort I call him to find out what he usually takes. When I tell him what has happened, he says “I’ll be right over.”

I want you to know I am praying and I do know that God is in control but I am still thinking the worst. Tyler, the young man, calls me and tells me that he has found Bosley on his way to the house and is bringing him home. Thank You, Jesus!!

So what did I learn from all of this:

First, Bosley had gained his freedom being outside of his master’s control, but he had no idea that the leash that restrained him and the house that kept him were for his own safety. While he roamed around free and loose, he had left his source of protection. He created his own danger.

Second, that is what we sometimes do, we think we want our freedom and to be free of the constraints that hold us back. When we finally realize that the restraints keep us safe and protect us from dangers we can’t even see, then we find that is where the true freedom is.

Finally, trusting God is an ongoing discipline, it is not just something to say, it is something to live. The Lord knew the outcome. He knew where Bosley was and He knew where I was. He was and is in control.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord, help me to keep my feet on the ground and my eyes on You. Help me to trust You for everything, even the small daily mishaps. Thank You for caring about all of Your creation and taking care of us all. Amen

Written by Jacquelin Gilmer