A few years ago, I was volunteering at the animal shelter. I was a dog companion and my job was to give the dogs a break from being in their kennels by walking with them and playing with them. Generally the dogs were very excited to come out and play but there were a few that were shy or fearful. After all, they did come there under a variety of circumstances.
Each dog was a joy to spend time with but there is one in particular I will never forget. It was a Great Dane (I can not recall his name) and they had to knock down a wall to get him to fit in one of the kennels. Most of the dogs would be eager to come out but he wasn't even close to the door. I opened that gate wide open and he didn't move. I put his leash on and tried to lead him out but he just wouldn't budge. I pulled, yanked and pushed even but nothing. The only movement he made was to the other side of the kennel to get away from me. Needless to say, I was a bit discouraged but also determined to get this dog to come out and enjoy some time romping around, stretch his legs, and the opportunity to pee on everything. So there we were. Him sitting on one side afraid of the outside world and me sitting on the other side trying to figure out how I can let him know it's ok. The only thing I could do, was just sit there. Just sit.
After about ten minutes, he apparently thought about what was outside the kennel because he came closer to me and allowed me to pat his head, stroke his side and eventually put the leash on. He followed me out not knowing what awaited him outside his little safe haven. We trotted past the other dogs, down the little green hill where he would take a sniff or two and right into one of the play areas. I let him off his leash thinking he would take off but he just stood there. He looked at me and I encouraged him to go run around. But he stood there. I found a ball and threw it. Nothing. I started running around like a fool and he stared at me like I was a fool. Finally he started to move around...sniff here...sniff there....sniff a tree and sniffed the ball. Picked the ball up in his mouth. I threw ball. He chased ball. Before we both knew it, we were both running like a couple of fools around the play area. Here was a dog who no more than fifteen minutes earlier was huddled alongside the kennel, unwilling to budge, was now jumping, running at full force, tongue whipping out of the side of his mouth and not a care in the world. Had we just sat there in his kennel, he would've missed out on all the fun he was having.
Often we live in a kennel of fear. We don't want to know what's out there because it may be something that can harm us. A new career, relationship, service work, or fear of people talking about us, disappointing others, etc., etc., etc. So we stay in our little kennel because it's safe. Nothing can happen to us in there. God comes along and opens the gate wide open encouraging us to experience and enjoy all the good things He has prepared for us. But our fear has paralyzed us and we refuse to come out. So God sits in our little fear kennel with us and waits patiently until we come to that decision to take a step out and see what is out there for us beyond the chain link fence of fear.
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2Peter 3:9
God will not let us out of His sight. Once we step out of our fear kennel, we just follow God to the designated safety area where we can jump, play, and run around like fools with our tongues whipping out of the side of our mouths. He has nothing but our best interests at heart. All we have to do is take that first step out and trust Him.
"For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" Isaiah 41:13
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