Harmony (the Pug)
Our faithful dog, Harmony. has vacated her role as the protector. She is deaf. Her howling, despite her best efforts, is totally removed from sincere threat.
We, therefore, secured her a side kick – Nessa.
Nessa (the Catahoula)
Abby says that she is our guard dog.
And Zaiah has THE plan.
If a bad guy comes to the door, he will move Harmony to safety and Nessa will knock the bad guy over. Zaiah will then use his Styrofoam sword and plastic cooking knife to cut up the bad guys shorts.
According to Zaiah, a depanted bad guy will definitely run away.
While it’s quite entertaining to have a protection bargade of a Catahoula, Pug, and a four year old with plastic and Styrofoam, it’s certainly not a reliant form of security.
But God never fails me.
He is my Guard.
My Shield.
But I doubt. A lot.
And I have a choice.
The first choice – my temptation – is to feed my doubt. I may ask God to guard my heart. But I immediately try to secure my own ability to hold steady. I am simply inadequate. And ultimately, I end up drowning in my minds endless presumptions, doubts, fears, and isolation.
My second choice is to choose God’s security. I ask Him to guard my heart. But instead of wallowing in the doubts of my own ability to stay firm, I flood my heart with his promises.
His word protects me.
It is a shield around me.
But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Psalm 3:3 NIV
Beautiful! I love that verse from Psalms 3 — one of my favorites.