Safety in the Crate

Normally, celebrating the birth of our country is a huge deal to me. I love America and I love fireworks. But I was too exhausted from the wedding to stay up. However, it is never a fun day for the dogs. Even our brave dog, Honeybun, prefers to slink to the sound proof protection of my closet on the evening of unexplained, thudding noises. Lucky, the neurotic dog, prefers to go try to scare off the creature that is stomping the heavens. He races around the back yard, barking and lunging at the sky. Then he careens back inside and looks around to see if the monster somehow evaded him and came in the house. He would probably drop dead from exhaustion, or a fed-up neighbor shooting him, if we didn't finally corral him and put him in the crate. He knows the crate is a safe place, where thus far no awful calamity has ever befallen him and in fact, he often gets tidbits of milkbones there.

I am reminded, a little more often than I would prefer, that I am a rather hyper individual, poised on the brink of frantic when the noise and chaos threatens my calm, ordered world. I am like Lucky, afraid those unseen enemies that are raising such a ruckus in the distance will be coming for me next. I totally get his madcap racing and barking at sparks in the sky. The thing is, no matter how many times someone tells Lucky (or me), "Stop! Hush! There is nothing to be afraid of!", it doesn't make me less frantic, and it makes me feel misunderstood on top of my fear.

I have a crate too. It is prayer. It is crawling into the hands of God and nestling my cheek against His trouble scarred palms, and hearing Him whisper, "It's ok, honey, you are safe here."

I paused before dragging my tired body to bed while fireworks lit up the sky.
"Lucky!' I called to the racing dog out back.
He came bounding in, soaked by the recent rain, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
"Come in your crate," I crooned and opened the door. He crawled in and lay down instantly. The wide eyes slowly closed, and his breathing quieted.

Jeremiah 32:37-38
³⁷ I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. ³⁸ They will be my people, and I will be their God.