…“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 9:2 NIV
Six years ago, almost to the day, we went out to the airport to meet our new dog who was arriving on the plane from Texas.
She was a rescue dog so we knew she’d be scared, but we weren’t prepared for the terrified bundle of fur that huddled in the corner of her crate, shut down, refusing to move. Never have I seen such a frightened creature. We found some help and hauled her out to the car in the crate, knowing if she got loose in the airport she’d run away and we’d never find her. After we finally coaxed her into the car, she flattened herself on the floor, looking like every cell of her body was screaming, “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”
How I wished I could have told her that her bad days were over, that she would be loved and cared for the rest of her life. Now she would get food and water regularly, a warm safe place to sleep, even medical care when she needed it. All she had to do was be a companion to a pair of old people, go on occasional walks and ride in a car once in a while. I laugh that, when she got on the plane in Dallas, she thought she was going to hell but actually she was going to doggie heaven! She had to live out that truth, one day at a time.
One of the things the pandemic has robbed us of is confidence in the future. We make plans these days with our mental fingers crossed, wondering if something else will come in and snatch it all away. It’s so hard to relax and trust.
I was thinking about our future, feeling that frisson of fear and worry, when the Lord called my attention to the dog sleeping quietly at my feet.
“You couldn’t tell her about all the good things that were going to happen to her; there was no way you could make her understand. Your perspective was so much greater, so different from hers. She had to learn to trust your love enough to let her life unfold day by day. Well, I can’t explain it to you either; My perspective is so much greater than yours. There’s no way you can understand all the wonderful things awaiting you. You have to trust My love enough to live out My truth, one day at a time.”
DEAR JESUS: Banish my fear, my lack of trust. With the power of Your spirit. Amen.
First published in “Bozeman Daily Chronicle,” August 14, 2022.