This is Schroeder. Pretty adorable, right? We've had him two and a half years now, and we think he's about three and a half or four. We don't know exactly how old he is because he was picked up as a stray and taken to an animal shelter. This is the first photo I saw of him:
When I saw this picture on Petfinder, I knew we had to get this dog. All we know about his story before he joined our family is that he looked a little like Chewbacca because of his matted hair and that a kindhearted woman picked him up from the side of the road where he was wandering around as a stray. He'd been at the shelter for three weeks before we adopted him, and no one ever came looking for him. This is what Schroeder looks like today:
He now loves peanut butter, pumpkin treats, and naps in the papasan chair. He's settled into his routine in our family and no longer cries like he did when we first adopted him and one of us would leave the house. He seemed to think we were leaving for good. He doesn't do that anymore.
But the thing about Schroeder is this. He hasn't forgotten what happened to him, whatever that was. It shaped the way he thinks. Every night, while our other dog Maddie is sneaking into bed, Schroeder hops up in the windowsill and watches. Sometimes in the middle of the night, he'll start howling because he's seen a bird or a cat or a tree limb moving.
I just can't seem to convince him he's safe now. That he doesn't have to always be on guard.
Last night I got up to get some water and found Schroeder dutifully standing in the windowsill, guarding our family. So I picked him up and carried him to the dog bed in our room and rubbed his belly for a few minutes. I told him to relax, that we were all okay and that he didn't need to worry.
And then it hit me.
I don't need to worry either. It's time to get out of the windowsill.
How often do we go over to our worry windows and watch for what might be coming? How often do we fear the cats or the noises the palm trees make in the breeze, then sound the alarm in fear? When all the while, God is calling to us, saying, "Come with me"?
Remember the story of Mary and Martha? While Mary was running around trying to finish everything that needed to be done, Martha caught hold of the bigger picture, and because of that, she was able to spend some time in the presence of God.
What does your worry window overlook? Today I want to encourage you to let go to God. He knows the cares and worries of our heart. He doesn't want to diminish those concerns, He just wants to give you a bigger perspective. He will keep you safe. Let Him watch the window for a while.
Do you ever find yourself trying to micromanage the dreams God has put on your heart? Maybe you've come to a place where you're nearing your goals, just like Schroeder finding a home, and you feel like you have to protect those things from danger. How can we take a step back and trust those things to God?
