Yes, I realize, I’m one of those girls who Instagrams about my dog way too much. I’ll argue with anyone about how he is not a dog, he is my child, and I’m just as proud as any mom who thinks their child does the cutest things ever.
But last night, this cutest thing ever taught me a lesson.
Rhett and I were laying on the couch and I hear Stephen get that evil giggle as he starts to do something on his phone. Rhett is sound asleep passed out on his back like he loves to sleep best. Then Stephen does it… DING DONG goes the noise on his phone like a doorbell. Out of the dead of his sleep, Rhett jumps up off the couch and starts his usual barking whenever someone rings the doorbell. He runs to the front door, and back and in circles a few times in his natural guard dog protection mode. Stephen makes the sound again, DING DONG. At this point, it’s totally pushing Rhett’s buttons as he keeps barking waiting for me to get up and go see who’s at the door. After Stephen continues to do the DING DONG a million times in a row, Rhett finally gives up and realizes, it just might not be the door after all.
Shortly after, Rhett and I walk to the restroom, passing the front door. I can tell Rhett is still confused and wanting to see what’s outside.
“Come here, Rhettster, look, you’re getting worked up for nothing,” I tell him as I open the door.
Still, he charges outside ready to attack whoever is at the door. He runs out into the dark full force, then stops in his tracks. He looks back at me still confused that no one is at the door, and back into the driveway. He still does a huff or two under his breath, but finally gives in and comes back inside.
In that moment, as I looked at him getting himself all worked up at no one being at the door, I couldn’t help but think of the quote my mom always told me growing up:
“Fear knocked at the door, God opened it, and no one was there.”
I looked at Rhett outside and realized, I saw myself. So many times, I’ve been that one who hears fear knocking at the door of random things in life, I get all worked up, then finally open the door to discover, yet again, God shows me that my fear was not worth all I got worked up about.
It reminds me of my wedding day. All week, the forecast said it was going to be sunny sunny sunny, but Saturday would be STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. All week long I feared our wedding would be ruined by the rain. All week long I stressed and worked myself into a tizzy. All week long I called my mom to calm me down and all she kept telling me is “I don’t care what man is forecasting, I’m choosing to believe God is going to come through and provide brilliant and abundant sunshine.” The morning of my wedding, I woke up and ran to the window. He did it. He provided brilliant and abundant sunshine. Not a drop of rain fell that day, after allllllll my fears and worries and stresses the week before. I realized then I felt like a dog with its tail tucked under as I muttered, “Sorry, God, for not trusting You are bigger than any forecast. Thank you for providing despite all my fears and worries.”
So as I watched Rhett walk back inside almost half disappointed that he got all worked up over nothing, I just smiled knowing I’m sure God does that a lot with me as well.