A Dogs View



A devotional reflection on trust and peace.


I was sitting quietly in my morning chair, enjoying my coffee and reading the Bible, when my dog’s ears suddenly went into telescope alert—meaning my peace was about to be interrupted. Sure enough, I heard cats fighting, and Lily began running from door to door, trying to see the commotion. Ironically, there’s a dog door right behind my chair, but she refused to go through it.


Barking and pacing, she kept at it while I urged her to go outside. But I knew no amount of coaxing would tempt her to face those cats—the neighborhood bullies. She likes to act tough when she sees them, but in reality, she’s extremely afraid of them.


After a few minutes of chaos, I clapped my hands to get her attention. She froze, then jumped into my lap, trembling like she feared for her life. I began to rub her belly and whisper, “Those cats can’t hurt you—you’re in my house. I will protect you.” As I stroked her belly, she began to calm down, her eyes slowly closing. Now, as I write this, she’s asleep beside me, softly breathing, ears relaxed.


What struck me was how quickly she found peace when she finally stopped running and simply jumped into my lap.


And I thought—how many times have I allowed my peace to be robbed by fear that wasn’t even realistic? Caught in cycles of “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios, I’ve let anxiety spin stories that, in hindsight, might even seem laughable. I chuckled at Lily being so afraid of a couple of cats fighting outside, while she was safe inside. I question her mental health often. But then again—aren’t we all just like her?


We get caught up in feelings of fear, convinced we’re in a battle that isn’t even ours to fight. We scramble around looking for an escape or a way to stand our ground, but we’re so overwhelmed that all we’re doing is running from door to door—no direction, no plan, no peace.


When I clapped to get Lily’s attention, she stopped, looked at me, and jumped into my lap. That’s where she found her calm—by drawing close to me. She trusts that I’ll protect her. And in that moment, I saw how alike we are.


I wonder—does my Heavenly Father look at me and think, “Sweet girl, why are you chasing every noise that frightens you?”

Does He see me bark and grumble about battles I’m not even called to fight, too afraid to face them but unwilling to rest?


This past week, especially, with protests and missiles flying between Israel and Iran, I’ve felt the fear rising. My mind raced with anxious thoughts, while the Spirit whispered:


“Karen, look to your Father. Go to His feet. Sit down. Rest in His protection. Trust in the One who sees it all and knows how it ends. He will always watch over you.”




“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

I will reward them with a long life

and give them my salvation.’”

Psalm 91:14–16 (NLT)




As I finished writing this, Lily made her way to her crate and fell asleep. Poor thing—she was exhausted. I believe she truly thought she was protecting me. While she imagines herself the size of a lion, she’s actually the size of a Chihuahua. A lot of fight in her—but really, she’s harmless.


Precious baby.


Location: Visalia, CA 93277, USA

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