After All I've Done for You....

Let me give you some background to help this post make sense to everyone.  We have a dog named Bill.  Six years ago, I found Bill on the side of the highway covered in fleas, ticks and mud.  Bill suffered for a year with a tick born illness that would leave him paralyzed, but with diligent medical treatment, he was healed of this disease.  He is terrified of men, loud noises, thunder, and anything else that reminds him of his past.  And this takes us to a story about yesterday.
We were scheduled to get up early and go to my mom’s to help her clear some trees that had been downed by a recent storm.  I noticed the radar showed storms in our area and made the last minute decision to bring Bill with us.  The car ride he panted, the arrival he fretted, and the whole time at my mom’s he had to have me in his sight to help with his separation anxiety.  At one point he jumped in my lap and I looked him in the eyes and said, “After all I’ve done for you bud, I’m not going to leave you now.”  You see I was frustrated with Bill’s anxiety because surely after all I’ve done for him, he should know that my intentions are good and with his best interest in mind….can’t he trust that? 
Immediately, I felt God’s reminder to me.  “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you,” yet I still find myself anxious.  After God has picked me up off the streets of the world, saved my soul, healed my wounds, and provided my needs, I still fret about viruses, worry about riots, fear for my children, and spend time feeling alone.  In these moments, I have forgotten who God is, and what his heart is for me.  We are all like Bill.  If Bill really understood my heart for him and for animals, he would consider himself the luckiest dog in the world.  If we really understood our God, deeply reflected on what He has done for us, and believe in His promises, how much more confident would we be facing the challenges and changes ahead?  May we all trust in His promises and be reminded of his faithfulness now and always. 
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

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