Reason #843
I used to write a lot about Scout, and I realized that I haven’t said much about her lately. I have mentioned her here and there, but it has been a while since she has gotten her own post. So here’s a Scout story that I may or may not have shared before. A story that has definitely had an impact on her life… and kind of mine, too.
About a month after I got Scout, she was invited to a puppy party. One of the dogs was celebrating their birthday, and like any good dog owner without children would do, it’s mom threw it a party. These stories sound crazy if you don’t have a dog, but if you have a dog that feels more like your child than your pet, you get where I’m coming from. Anyway, Scout was about 2.5 pounds at this time. She was so tiny and fragile, so I was extra cautious since all of the other dogs there were about 20 to 40 times her size. I held her in my lap the whole time, and she didn’t fight me to get down. An older dog came over and would check on Scout every now and then. It was this sweet, gentle lab that seemed to really take a maternal liking to her. After scoping this dog out, I decided that it would be okay to let Scout out of my lap. The other 6 dogs were playfully bounding around the backyard, unaware of Scout and this lab. She began to venture off the porch and into the yard, and I smiled thinking, “How cute! Look at her and that dog being sweet to one another.” But two seconds into their interaction, one of the dogs came racing towards her and pounced on her. Immediately, this swarm of dogs was around her and she tried to escape. She began running, but they surrounded her. She was trapped. It was absolutely terrifying. I could hear her squealing, and I felt completely helpless because I couldn’t get to her. Thankfully, some of the guys ran outside and jumped between the dogs to pull her out. My heart was pounding, and so was Scout’s. I scooped her up and held her close, and I just thanked the Lord that she was okay. It was one of those moments where my fear of dogs sank back in, and I promised Scout I would never let that happen to her again.
Growing up, I was terrified of dogs. Truthfully, I’ve never really been a dog person. Big dogs still kind of strike fear in me no matter how nice their owners claim they are. I rarely interact with other peoples’ dogs, and the bigger they are, the more skeptical I am. And so I never wanted a dog. Really, the only reason I agreed to getting Scout was because she was tiny. She can do no damage, and she doesn’t have a scary bone in her body. She’s a little dog and she knows it. But Scout has been such a faithful, loyal, and loving little dog to me that I feel extra responsible for her. Because she is so helpless, I feel like more is required to of me to keep her safe. And Scout has unfortunately developed her mom’s skepticism of dogs. No matter how big or small they are, she trembles and shakes when one comes near. She looks up at me like, “Please don’t make me stay down here with this thing.” She tucks her little tail, cowers, lowers her head and it breaks my heart each time.
They say the only way to get over your fear is to face it. When we take Scout on walks, people with small dogs often want to introduce their dog to Scout. I realize they aren’t going to hurt her, but I know exactly how it makes her feel. Of course, I don’t want to be that rude neighbor that says no, but I often hope they’ll keep walking rather than making me put her through something she dreads. And you may be thinking, “Well, then she never is going to get over it.” But that’s okay. She doesn’t have to get over it. If you are terrified of heights, then should you be forced to climb to the top of a water tower a few times a week or go skydiving to really try and break you of your fears? I don’t think so. I am afraid of the ocean. I’ll go out in the water knee deep but I am not going swimming. Because no matter how many times I get in the ocean, which I’ve done quite a few times, I’m still scared. And I don’t know about you, but being scared is no fun. Just because you’re forced to face your fears doesn’t always mean you’ll overcome them.
But God is faithful. He is the hand that reaches down and scoops us up out of our nightmares. The one who rescues us when we feel trapped. When fear is setting in, God intervenes. And we can trust that. We can trust that He will keep us safe. We can trust that He isn’t going to only give us the option of simply getting over it. He is there to be our protector and our strong tower. And while we face some pretty scary things in life, while some of our worst fears actually do come to fruition, God is there to help us through them. To give us the courage we need so that we’re not paralyzed by fear. To carry us forward if we have a hard time moving. He knows how helpless we are. He knows how we feel, and I am so grateful that God is there take care of us in those moments when we can’t take care of ourselves. To be our refuge, our trusted safe haven, and the arms that hold us close so that we can rest securely in His loving grasp.
#843 - Because He is our safe place.
"The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe." - Proverbs 18:10