Note: We said 'goodbye' to our sweet Sophie the day before yesterday (July 11th, 2021). In memorium, I decided to look back on three posts I added to my blog when Sophie was very young, with the tag "Lessons From Sophie". These posts, inspired by our little dog, were demonstrations to me that Sophie modeled regarding what my relationship to Lord should look like.
After reading these, I've decided to update and repost them. May Sophie encourage you the way she has continued to encourage me. And now, after having left us, these memories from her are also a sweet comfort to me.
This is the first of the three articles, originally posted on May 24th, 2008, when Sophie was a little more than a year old: Lessons from Sophie - Dwelling in Safety:
"Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
One of the first posts I wrote was about my cute little dog, Sophie (click here to go to that post). She provided a great lesson for what it means to wholeheartedly love the one who feeds and cares for her (me).
Now she has again impressed upon me what it means to trust and depend upon her master (again, that's me; though to be accurate, I really am her mistress).
I have noticed an interesting behavior that Sophie displays when she is frightened of something - the vacuum cleaner, for instance. The first time I became aware of this behavior was when Robert and I were in the garden working. Robert was operating the rototiller and, of course, Sophie was afraid of it.
How she handled her fear is how I want to handle myself with the Lord when I am tempted to be afraid of any created thing. Instead of running away from what she feared in the garden that day (the rototiller), she got up as close to Robert and me as she could without getting tangled in the rototiller. As fearful as she was of the threatening raucous monster, she was more sure of my protection of her. She seemed to know where real safety was - right beside me.
Sophie does the same thing in the house when I am vacuuming. She gets up as close to me as she can, sandwiching me between herself and the dangerous suction machine. She doesn't try to tackle the intruder herself, in fact, she doesn't even offer warning barks. Sophie just knows that she will dwell in safety if she is next to me.
Besides, knowing this wonderful truth, isn't God good to put the examples before us in such delightful ways? I see my little dog do this thing easily, like it is her only option. May running to my Lord be the only thought in my head also. Only in His presence will I find rest and safety.
"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
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Jesus Christ has been my Savior since 1975. Robert, the wonderful man that
God provided to love me has been my husband for 48 of those years. We have five grown children, with children of their own. Of course, that means that we have grandchildren - ten to be exact, and nine great-grandchildren with another one on the way. I have been a stay-at-home mom, sometimes helping to supplement the income from within the home. Now I am a stay-at-home grandmother. Jesus Christ has been my guide and keeper and I have found, in all the trials, heartbreaks and good times that He just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter as the years roll by. My future is secure and I look forward to eternity in the presence of my Creator, Redeemer and King.
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Hi Sharon. I am visiting your blog for the first time. Just as I expected, I am absolutely delighted. Thank you for sharing your godly insights.
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