A UNIQUE DOG.
Sky was a 10-year-old Australian Shepherd mix at the humane society waiting for adoption. I always worry about the older dogs there because they usually take longer to be adopted. Most people who visit the shelter are looking for a puppy or younger dog. Sky also weighs over 80 pounds, and big dogs take longer to be adopted. He is also handicapped – Sky is blind and deaf.
Sky is a pretty dog. On his back half, he has the typical blackish-blue spots of the Australian Shepherd. His eyes are light blue, well, at least one was blue. The other one looked different, probably due to his blindness.
I was volunteering as a dog walker at the humane society when I met Sky. I was a little hesitant to take him out because of his disabilities, so I asked a staff member to make sure it was ok. They assured me it was, so I carefully entered his kennel and gently attached the leash to his collar.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TENSION/CONNECTION
I moved very cautiously knowing he couldn’t see or hear well. We gingerly went through the doors to get outside and started slowly. I didn’t know how comfortable he would be with a stranger, so I held the leash close to his collar to keep a steady, light tension to let him know I was there.
This could be compared to our spiritual walk with God. The tension on the leash created a constant source of awareness between Sky and me. God wants a continuous connection with us too. He gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit to give us access to Him 24/7. We are never alone. The admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17 KJVER) indicates God wants continual connection with us.
In Physics, to have tension, there must be at least two objects in contact with each other. If you were playing tug of war, you would have contact with the other team through the rope. But if one lets go, there’s no tension because contact is lost with the other team. I kept steady, but light tension on Sky’s leash so he would feel my presence. I didn’t want him to feel alone, unsure, or afraid. I could imagine how scary it would be to not be able to see where you are going.
When we don’t stay in contact with God, we lose the “tension” of connection with Him. Contact comes in various ways. Our contact with God comes from reading His words, talking with Him, and praising Him in song. I find connection with God when I’m writing. Another source of contact is spending time with other believers. They have the indwelling Holy Spirit, which can be a connection to God. It’s one reason we shouldn’t isolate and avoid being with other Believers.
Connection and fellowship with God are important for trusting Him. Without it, we will feel insecure and when troubles come, we’ll feel like we’re floundering. Like Peter when he took his eyes off the Lord and began to sink into the water. But “he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31). Jesus is always there but we don’t always feel it, especially when we take our eyes off Him. But keeping steady contact like I did with Sky will help us feel secure and trust God as we walk through this life.
A STEP OF FAITH
Sky and I needed to step off the sidewalk to cross an empty parking lot to get to another sidewalk to continue our walk. I knew the step down would be a challenge for him. And sure enough, when his foot began to step down he didn’t feel the ground underneath, so he immediately pulled it back to the sidewalk. So, I moved in close to face him and held his collar for additional support. With my voice and gently pulling him toward me, I encouraged him to step forward.
He trusted me and stepped off the sidewalk onto the pavement. Isn’t that a lot like us when we trust God? Faith is trusting God for our next step, the step we can’t see. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Our walk is made up of steps, and often, that first step in a situation is the hardest.
We used the handicapped entrance when we reached the other sidewalk and, on our way back. I was learning to be a better guide. I continued to keep the slight, steady tension on the leash. And I was surprised at how Sky picked up speed. He seemed to have gained some confidence. When we’ve taken a step of faith and gained experience with God, we can more confidently move forward. It gives us boldness.
“That we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,” (Heb. 13:6). God is our helper! Too often, we worry that God might not be there for us or ask of us more than we’re willing to give. But God has our best interest at heart.
We can encourage our weak hearts by telling ourselves, “The Lord is my helper.” The Lord is MY helper! The Lord IS my helper! (See how easy it is to memorize a verse? God can use these verses hidden in our hearts to bring them to mind just when we need them!)
HELD IN HIS HAND
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10). Just as I held Sky’s leash with my hand to help him not be afraid, God holds us with his hand. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” (John 10:28,29).
A WALK WITH JOY
I was impressed with how much this dog trusted me. It was an enjoyable walk and it brings joy for us to walk with God. Adam and Eve walked with God. It’s such a lovely picture of them walking with God in a garden of beautiful trees. There was no mention of sin, shame, anxiety, sweat, pain, or death before the fall when they walked with God. Enoch was also said to have walked with God. God desires us to walk with Him. He wants to have this kind of close relationship with us.
Even though Sky was very deaf, I talked to him while we walked. Dogs seem good at sensing our emotions and I figured he would feel the good vibes of my constant, calm chatter. If he wanted to stop and sniff, I let him. It was one of the few senses left to him.
Walking this deaf and blind dog helped me see what faith in God looks like. It gave me a picture God’s tender care and patience to help me walk with Him. It showed me how much the “tension” of connection is important to a walk of faith. I was glad I took this dog for a walk.
THE SIGHT OF FAITH
It’s true, faith believes what it cannot literally see. But Faith isn’t blind, it sees God. It sees God doing what we can’t do for ourselves! It sees His love, care, strength, and power. Faith sees God being greater than our circumstances. Instead of seeing only the problem, we can see the ability of our great God and Creator of the universe as our helper. “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2).
Moses saw the invisible! “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” (Heb. 11:27). His faith allowed Him to see the invisible God.
I remember one time as a kid, earnestly praying to see God. I don’t recall why I prayed for this, but I wanted to see Him appear before me as some sort of sign. God didn’t answer that prayer, and I’m thankful because I didn’t know God back then. It would have been an experience to rely on instead of coming to Him in faith for my salvation. It takes Jesus to open the eyes of our blindness. He opens our eyes to relationship with Him. And we continue to see God more and more as we journey through His word and life with Him. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.” (Prov. 4:18).
TRUE BLINDNESS
We have a type of blindness until we are saved. The apostle Paul was summoned to the philosophers in Athens. They wanted to hear about the new god Paul talked about. Paul revealed to them the Creator, who was not made by men’s hands. He unveiled the unknown god as the God who can be known.
“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions [objects of worship], I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD…Him declare I to you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He gives to all life, and breath, and all things; …That they should seek the Lord, if haply [perhaps] might feel after Him, and find Him though He be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:23-27).
Paul described how they could “feel after” God like a blind person feeling what they wish to see. It was predicted in the Old Testament that the coming Christ would give sight to the blind. And Jesus did just that! He miraculously gave sight to the blind. The blind man Jesus healed testified, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25). We have the eyes of our understanding enlightened (Eph. 1:18).
Satan is in the business of causing spiritual blindness. “If our gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.” (2 Cor. 4:3,4).
THE ONE WHO OPENS BLIND EYES
“The LORD opens the eyes of the blind” (Psalm 146:8). By faith, we see the living God. He works in our life, and we see it. He works in other’s lives, and we see it. Faith sees what unbelief cannot see. It sees what God can do, not what we are incapable of doing ourselves.
When we need more faith, we can ask God for it. (Mark 9:24). We all experience times and have areas of unbelief. But meeting God in prayer and spending time in His word, we will increase our faith because “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
God is there for us like I was there for the deaf and blind dog to help him through obstacles and difficulties. It is important to remember how God has worked in our lives in the past. They are landmarks to bolster our faith today.
SKY’S ADOPTION – OUR ADOPTION
Good news! Despite his handicaps, amazingly, Sky was adopted that very week! We have been adopted by God too. “…You have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:15). We have a heavenly Father who loves us and is willing to be by our side every step of the way. He doesn’t make mistakes when He leads us. Whatever we go through in this world broken by sin, God will not forsake us. He is there! Like He was with there with Israel in the wilderness. He went before them, was with them, and when necessary, went behind to protect them.
THE SIGHT OF FAITH
Faith sees God! It sees Who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing! “. . . we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Heb. 2:9).
For Personal Reflection:
What have you experienced that grew your faith and trust in God?
How do you need most to keep the tension of connection with God today?
- Read His word – the Bible?
- Talk with God?
- Have contact and fellowship with other Believers?
What step of faith is God asking you to take with HIm?
