Baby, It's Just a Car: What My Puppy Taught Me About Faith and Fear

"Do not fear; for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NRSV

This morning, I learned something about faith and fear by watching my 1-year-old Labsky.

We started our usual daily routine; I fed her, grabbed my things for work, and we headed out for doggie daycare. As always, she hopped in the back seat with her tail wagging and tongue hanging happily as the gospel tunes sang "Hallelujah" through the car speakers.

As we approached the first traffic light though, she began barking sharply and persistently. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that a car driving a little too close behind me had triggered her.

My little fur baby was shooketh! Her body was arched, the hair on her back was standing at attention like a soldier, and her eyes were glued to the back window.

When the light turned green, she launched into the air like Michael Jordan in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk contest and right into my lap. In her panic, she tried to slide herself between the steering wheel and me like she was still a baby pup. Now if she were a cute little lap dog, that may have been okay. But she's a 65-pound Labsky, a Husky and Labrador Retriever mix; tall, regal, and thicker than a Snicker!

Picture me with one hand on my pup and the other on the wheel with my head whipping side to side to see the road around her body. My heart was pounding triple-time like Busta Rhymes verse in the song, Look At Me Now. I couldn't see a thing! Eventually, I shifted her enough to see and pulled over safely.

As we were near to our destination, it happened again! She began panicked barking like someone stole her favorite toy. This time, she barked at a white SUV behind me. I noticed the lights bouncing off the car, and admittedly, they looked like a mean set of eyes. When we finally arrived at the daycare facility, she curled up in my lap and lay there still spooked by the mean car eyes. I gave her chest rubs to calm her, repeating, “It’s okay, Baby. It was just a car. I'm here. You’re okay.”

And that’s when it occurred to me: She didn’t understand that it was just a car that would not hurt her. Even though I knew she was safe, she didn’t feel safe. She needed my security and comfort.

After I calmed her down and dropped her off, I reflected on the morning's events and thought about how much her reaction looked like life sometimes. We start the day with high hopes and intentions, then "Suddenly" (e.g., a bill, a health scare, a job transition, a broken relationship) creeps up on us, wreaking havoc on our peace. We spiral, filling in all the blanks with the worst-case scenarios. To us, the threat is real, and we can't see our way around it. But to God, it’s just a car, something he's seen and handled before.

Although it is no threat to God, God knows the threat is real to us. Yet, he doesn’t dismiss our fear. By his grace and Spirit, he settles our anxious souls, draws us unto his lap, and whispers, "I'm here. You're okay."

So today, if something has your mind consumed, causing you to yell, scream, or cry aloud at the scary things in life, hear the gentle voice of God saying, “Baby, it’s okay. It's just a __________.” Go ahead, fill in the blank. Whatever it is, I promise that it's not bigger than God.

Take a moment to say this prayer wherever you are:

God, thank You for being Emmanuel and remaining with me when I'm afraid. Your word says in Isaiah 41:10, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Teach me to trust you in every situation, no matter what it looks like or how suddenly it arrives. Thank you for reassuring me and whispering to my heart, You are safe with me. Amen.