Like many children, my 14 year-old daughter wanted a dog. This request was not one in passing but a consistent plea. One morning, Ellie was perusing an online local animal shelter, which had become a habit. But, this time, there was a picture of a 5-month old poodle mix. To my amazement, I heard myself agree to visit the shelter that day. We waited our turn in line to see the poodle as many others waited to see animals too. It’s a “first come, first serve” system. We had no idea if someone ahead of us wanted to see this poodle puppy also. After about an hour, Ellie and I were escorted to a cage. The puppy was small in comparison to the huge cage. He shivered in the corner. The employee-associate picked up the puppy and we followed her outside. The dog’s hair was matted and already formed in to dread locks. He would not come close to us. We had to go to him. He was fearful. His little body shook with fear. We were told that this dog had been in 3 shelters prior to coming here. This puppy did not do anything for us to embrace him. He did not lick our face or look into our eyes but for some reason, we both wanted to love him. In silent agreement, we headed to the line to pay for this puppy. His price was considerably lower than all the paraphernalia needed to sustain him. As we drove to the office, we were greeted by Bobbye. She tried hard to keep her eyes (and heart) off the dog. Then, other friends and coworkers entered the room. Through an unanimous decision, the puppy’s name would be Sammie, named after Samson who didn’t get haircuts either.

Sammie was a challenging dog to raise. He dealt with anxiety disorder whenever he was left home alone. Like Sammie, there are times that we deal with intense anxiety. We find ourselves walking away from God or too fearful to come close. Thankfully, the Lord already came to us. Jesus understands our fears and worries. He tells us to cast our cares on Him for He cares greatly for us.