Our dog is amazing. Thunderstorms boom and flash all over our neighborhood and she never lifts even an ear. It is no big deal. We can go out into the yard and feel the coolness of an approaching storm pushing away the heat of the day and she lifts her head into the wind and sniffs as if it were Eau de Summer. Last night the light show overhead was intense. At one point a bolt zapped and sizzled over the house so close one could smell the ozone. She never flinched nor seemed startled but instead she quietly came over and laid down on my feet while uttering a deep sigh.
Hearing her contented sigh I could not but think of a song I grew up with.
“Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.”
Just now as I am writing she is lying in front of a fan but I can see the whites of her eyes and I know she is watching me. Should I make any indication I will be getting up she will immediately stand to accompany me. “Anywhere He leads me I will safely go.” (Another great old hymn.) I should be as faithful to my God as she is to me. I should trust Him as much as she trusts me. When life gets difficult and harsh, it has and will again, I should sink into my favorite place with a deep sigh. She knew all was well as long as I was not afraid. I know all will be well as long as Jesus is not afraid and, of course, He never is!
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 15, 2016
PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org