Читать книгу Paws to Reflect for Dog Lovers - Kim McLean - Страница 16

Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

—Isaiah 41:10

Lily is a sweet black dog who came to live with us when we agreed to board her big brother, Jack the horse. The two are inseparable, so we gave her the first stall on the right. We made her a cozy home with a doggie igloo and plenty of straw, which she prefers over the blanket.

Lily is old and wise. She can only hobble around because she has stiff joints, and her eyes are milky with cataracts, but she gets where she wants to go. She rarely comes up to the house with the other dogs.

One day, there was a severe weather warning, though the sky was perfectly sunny. With hardly a cloud in the sky, Lily came up to the house and found shelter in the hay bales we had stacked under the carport. She had not seen the weather channel, but she had gotten the message somehow that it was time to take cover.

An hour or so later, a strong wind arrived so suddenly and with such force that we barely made it to the basement. My son heard the thunderous roar first and yelled that we should take cover. Hail the size of golf balls began to slash the window screens. We were not in the basement for even sixty seconds and it was over. A tornado had twisted through, leaving a trail of damage. We immediately checked on the animals, and there was Lily, safe and dry, peeking out from the house of hay.

I thought of the Isaiah verse encouraging us not to fear, and realized that Lily had exemplified fearless faith in action. She must have heard that still, small voice guide her to a safe place, and God was surely with her. She was not even trembling after the storm, but looked quite calm and content. Today, listen closely for God’s guiding voice in all of your circumstances. Lily’s fearless faith is available to all of us, all the time.—k.m.