Dog Gone It

The BSF passage today is about a highway:
"Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it." (Isaiah 40: 4-5)

This reminds me of my favorite line in the Justin Roberts song, "No Spring Chicken." The song is a conversation between God and Abraham, and God urges Abraham to have faith in Him. He says:

"Just beyond your line of sight this broken road is paved, and paved with light."

Writing the words here doesn't do them justice. They come at the end of a beautiful, lyrical, lovely song about trusting God, and the first few times I heard them, I cried. I want to believe this!

The section title of the Isaiah passage above was "Consolation." Is it just coincidence that this was the message for me today?

Here's why I ask: This week I spotted a dog on the Atlanta Pet Rescue site that seemed to be the perfect dog for our family. Adorable, non-shedding, the right size, already housebroken, and only six months old. I filled out the adoption paperwork, waited until the day he was available for adoption, and made a plan to head over to the facility as soon as I finished volunteering at Isabel's school that morning. For two days and nights prior I had butterflies in my stomach. Was this our dog, which we will have as part of our family for the next 15 years? I was both terrified and gleeful. It certainly seemed like it was our dog.

Yesterday, the day he was available, I was about to leave to go to the facility, which had opened just 30 minutes earlier. I called to say I was coming, and the shelter worker told me that someone was there at that moment, and was in the process of adopting him. "You have to arrive early on the morning a dog is available for adoption," she said. "Three people applied to adopt him, and one of them got here first."

I was crestfallen. That sounds silly--it was only a shelter dog. But the reason it hit me so hard was mostly because my anxious nature won't allow me to go through the process of doing something new without physical stress symptoms. I hadn't slept in two nights, and my heart had been racing for three days. I was exhausted. And now I was exhausted for what turned out to be no reason. I was drained and heartbroken.

For years I've beaten myself up over these anxiety symptoms, which come on me for such silly reasons and don't go away until the issue is resolved. But I've come to accept them as part of my chemical makeup. I can tell myself, "Jen, this is silly." But my chest remains tight. Prayer during these symptoms doesn't alleviate them, and doesn't feel fruitful at all. But I know that God hears me.

Just beyond my line of sight this broken road is paved, and paved with light. The Lord has a plan for my family--even for something as inconsequential as our family dog! I don't want to be someone who gets wrapped up in small issues like this when there is so much real pain around me. But I also want to remember that just beyond my line of sight, there's a family dog for us in God's good timing. And a small joy like that one is part of the lovely world God created for us to enjoy.

Lord, I pray that You would find us a family dog in Your good timing, and that You would help me to remember that many of Your blessings are just beyond my line of sight. I love that biblical scene when You gave Elijah a glimpse of what was really going on around him in a time of great danger. For a moment, he saw 40,000 angels around him. I need to keep my focus on You, because I can't see what's really going on. 


What should I be doing professionally? Please show me an opportunity to write a book that glorifies You by September 2011. Please, please reach out to Sara by February 5. I pray for our time together on the cruise, that You would guard my tongue and show me how I can lift her up. She is so sensitive and sad! Show me how to support her, to show her how much I love her. What does she need, Lord? Show me.


I pray for Lee, who comforted me yesterday about the dog. I pray for him as he struggles with Mom and Dad's decision to move here. Please work in this situation. I don't have the faintest idea how, but You know what's best. Show me the way I am to behave in this situation.


I pray for my sweet children, for Your protection over them. I pray for wisdom--show me how to train them up. Please be specific! Please show me that You are there!


In Your son's name I pray,
Amen