My daughter and I slip into the welcome center just minutes before closing time. We’ve driven my son back to school in Mississippi, and this is the final state line to cross on our journey home.
As we race back to the car, I giggle like a child, focused more on getting out of the biting wind than looking like an adult. We drive past the last parking spaces and picnic tables and spot a little brown dog, red collar around his neck, watching us go.
I stop, back up, and pull into the last space as my daughter gets out and goes to help him, but the little guy races away from her and across the lawn. We drive toward the exit and see that his path crossed the truck exit ramp. I pull over and my daughter follows him again, but this time he runs deep into the woods, afraid, though we mean him no harm.
Surely the owners are near. Maybe the dog slipped out when they opened the car door and they don’t realize he’s gone? No cars wait behind us, so I put mine in reverse and drive back to the welcome center.
I tell two DOT employees about the dog, but they direct me to the the lady emerging from the gift shop, keys in hand, locking the doors at the end of the day. Yes, she knows about the dog. She placed blankets outside for him tonight.
Because he’s been there for two days. Two days.
Two days of fear. Two days afraid to accept food and help from strangers. Two days of living unprotected from winter winds. Two days of feeling abandoned.
The sun begins to set and I feel helpless as we drive away, staring at a thermostat that reads 29 degrees, wondering if this little dog will survive the night. My heart hurts for him.
How often do I live this way, afraid to trust, refusing the assurance that God will shelter me, running from the safety of His protection?
He who says, “Peace, be still,” and calms the waters can surely calm me, too. He offers more than food and blankets: He offers Himself, all that I need. The God of the universe woos me with His perfect love and I don’t need to be afraid.
Do you live like this little dog, afraid to trust the Lord to protect you?
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Dawn,
I don’t know that I’m afraid to trust God, but I certainly have my doubts about trusting Him (probably rooted somehow in fear?). Some days I am certain and at peace about where my trust lies. Other days when lies and doubts rock my world I pray like the apostle, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” This is a prayer I utter often. I get upset with myself that I would have any doubts about the love and protection of a God who has seen me through so many trials, but fear and doubt are part of our human frame, of which God is mindful – He created us after all. Thankfully, though, as you said, He continues to woo us and reassure us that He means us no harm…only good. I pray that He will continue to erase any doubts in me. Thanks for this post this morning…
Blessings,
Bev
You’re welcome, Bev. Thank you, as always, for your kind and thoughtful comment.
I believe! I believe that he can help other people’s pains. I trust that he will heal the sick. That he will love the needy. I trust he is around us and surrounding us. I trust that he loves me and my imperfections. But sometimes, I have a hard time believing that he would help ME when I need it. I have done something to be undeserving of His love, grace, and forgiveness. I am not following his voice like I should, I make my own plans, I keep doing the very things I know I should not. While most days I don’t believe this. I woke this morning feeling this way. There are greater problems in this world than for him to help me in my self made problems. But inside I know this isn’t the truth and just saying (typing) it out makes me know that it isn’t true. He loves me, and will guide me, and protect me, and lay His glorious hands in my life. And I am His. Thank you for writing this and doing the things that you do.
Andrea,
Prayers for you to continue to believe that He would love you NO MATTER WHAT! He went to great lengths to woo you and keep you in Heaven with him,
Blessings 🙂
loves this article and just when I needed it most its hard to trust a God you cannot see especially when you have been used and abused over and over again and again when you cant pick up your head anymore and are so ashamed to look at your own face would I even recognize it if I could when you have lived the streets and been everybodys toy picked up played with and thrown down again and again when you lose both daughters whom you love dearly and there is no replacement due to circumstances that you could not though you gladly would have controlled how do you trust a God that you cannot feel that you cannot find at least he still has an identity at least he still has a name and he knows who he is I am trying im not giving up God does give me strength but quite honestly I don’t know how much more I can endure I am tired and need to rest in the arms of Jesus if I could just feel his presence and find him I don’t know if anyone out there understands where I am coming from ive tried cutting tried drugs and alcohol tried many things nothing has taken this excruciating pain from me if I could just find Jesus
Passion, I’m praying for you now. God is here and He is real and yes, you can trust Him. Please do not give up and please, please, do not harm yourself. I’m praying that He shows Himself strong on your behalf. Do not lose hope, sister.
passion, my heart aches for you. If you are tired, you surely can rest in the arms of Jesus. He IS there, waiting for you. You are not the bad things that happen TO you. And even when we make mistakes, things we think are so terrible, God IS there with grace and forgiveness. It is our shame that keeps us from Him and His love. Change isn’t easy and forgiving yourself for actions is terribly hard but God doesn’t want you hurting, filled with shame. He wants you to turn to Him and accept His love. I will be praying for you.
Passion,
Breath slowly, deeply, releasing the uncertainty that you are feeling. Reach deep deeper than ever before and believe not only that God is there to carry you to comfort and guide you but believe in yourself that you can get through this and be triumphant.
Dearest Passion – You have not been forgotten. Your worth on this earth is mighty, regardless of those who may not have seen it. You are not a toy to God. You are His precious, precious daughter and you are loved. I am praying right now that you will be able to feel that He is near, because dear one, He is. And He does have the power to sew together what others have torn apart. I promise you that.
Psalms 34:18 tells us that “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
That’s hard to make sense of sometimes, hard to trust when others have hurt you deep. But I pray those words of truth bring you comfort right now.
You are loved. You are valuable. You matter.
Passion
My heart is crying out to God for you! Know that the God who created the whole universe and you–really truly does care for you! He is waiting for you to call on Him and He will send His loving arms to surround you and hug you!!!
You are a precious child of Almighty God!~ He forgives and forgets past mistakes!! May you feel His comfort and peace surround you today and always
((((Hugs)))) E. TN
I’m sorry I was hoping there would be a happy ending in this story. Clearly it was the human that abandoned this helpless little dog that can not be trusted which has nothing of course to do with God. So I pray that there will be a happy ending for that little dog after all.
Penny, I agree. I am a huge animal lover and am so concerned about the little dog. Is there a humane society or animal rescue group in the area that can be contacted?
Jane,
I truly hope someone gained his trust and that all is well.
Thank-you Dawn for reaching out and trying to help the little guy. I pray that maybe whoever left him or lost him went back. Or that he found someone that gained his trust. But whatever the case may be we can be sure that he was being watched over.
I love that there is no happy ending. I love that the blankets are waiting for the little dog when it gets brave enough to go to them. I love these things because real life is lived in the middle of the story. I’m in the middle. Trusting God to care for me with the hands of untrustworthy people…can be a challenge…because we are all untrustworthy.
And Sarah, I love this comment! 🙂
This is really meaningful, Dawn, and well-written. Somehow it reminds me of a story in one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire) and how he was in the wilderness, spiritually. He felt abandoned by God. And then he found a stray kitten whom he tried to feed and shelter. The cat fought and hissed at him. Suddenly, Gire saw a life metaphor in the kitten’s reactions. He realized that *he* was the cat, fighting against God’s desire simply to feed and shelter him in this difficult wilderness place in which he found himself. Your little “found” dog ran away from the good you were trying to do. And yes, we do that to God. anyway, I was really touched by your sharing and pray that this little fellow can find shelter and a good home. Thank you for sharing, Dawn.
Blessings,
Lynn
My first thought is: I DO trust God; the person I don’t trust is myself. Questions like these run through my mind: Am I doing everything He wants me to? Am I on the right path, pursuing the right dream? Then I have to remind myself: God doesn’t expect perfection; he expects growth and perseverance. Also, if I am pursuing the wrong dream, he is quite capable of letting me know. I have to TRUST that he will do that. M-m-m. Still a few rungs to climb on the trust-ladder. Thank you, Dawn, for a thought-provoking–no–trust-provoking post!
I believe everyone has fears from time to time. Life happens and it can be scary. It is during those scary times that we must lean in harder and trust God that He will see us through this trial. Each trial makes us stronger and more resilient–and more dependent on Him!
Blessings to everyone 🙂
My heart aches for that poor little dog, but I love the point you make. The would-be rescuers undeniably wanted to bring that little guy something good that would heal him and keep him safe but he was afraid to accept it. I’ve had moments in my life, too, where I’ve shied away and been afraid to accept what God was putting into my life and it was only later that I came to realize that He would have healed my pain. Powerful stuff.