Saving Lexi

Upon returning from classes at BJU one day, Stephen saw a fawn-colored female boxer at the end of our driveway. He greeted her, and she followed him partway down the driveway. She sat at the edge of the yard for about 15 minutes and studied Carla as she did some things on the porch. Only then did she walk up to Carla and put her arms around her. She did the same thing to me as I started to get out of our pickup truck when I got home. This is not what you expect from a stray dog.

Her ribs and spine stood out from her skinny frame, and she had a persistent cough. We later found out that she had heartworms and intestinal parasites. She was also very afraid, easily startled by just about anything, and a model of canine insecurity. Even so, you could still see her beauty. She appeared to be purebred and had some of the most desirable markings on her face. She is a little more petit than most boxers, and is quite the girly girl. Why would someone neglect her? It was obvious that she had given birth to puppies at least once in her life. Had she been part of a puppy mill? Did the owner run short of money and abandon her?

“I have to feed her,” Carla said. “If you do, she’ll never go away.” “I have to feed her.” “If you do, then put the dish out on the driveway on the other side of the truck.” That night I heard her pacing back and forth on the porch. As I got ready for school the next morning, I looked out the window and saw Carla on the porch, crouched down with her arms wrapped around her, telling her that everything was going to be OK.

Sometimes we see signs for lost animals posted on power poles in our neighborhood. There were none. She had no collar. We searched for an owner and thought we had finally found her in Augusta, GA, roughly 120 miles away. Could she have come that far? I spoke with the possible owner on the phone, asking questions carefully to see if she were legit. Everything seemed kosher until I asked if her dog had ever had puppies. Nope. Ultimately we decided to keep her, and after lengthy treatments she was free of heartworms. She’s the most expensive free dog we’ve ever had. We had the vet implant an identification chip in her.

I named her Lexi. Why did she immediately respond to that name when I first used it? She reminded us of her desperate life when she jumped up and snatched a loaf of bread (still in the plastic bag) off the countertop and gobbled it down. We don’t know how much Buster (whom we inherited when Dad died) helped her out, but clearly she needed to learn some manners. She also had terrible separation anxiety. Wouldn’t I have, too, if I had been treated the same way? And why was she was afraid to ride in vehicles?

It’s been over four years since she walked down our driveway. She’s graying and isn’t quite as energetic as she used to be, but she’s no longer emaciated. We’ve only heard her bark a few times, and we wonder why. It’s too bad, really, because she has a beautiful voice. We’ve given her lots and lots of love and reassurance, and we’ve also taught her about things to do and things not to do. We haven’t lost any more loaves of bread. She isn’t very jumpy anymore, either. Lexi is the gentlest dog I’ve ever known, and also the most affectionate, and I think I’ve had a glimpse of how animals and people were originally meant to interact with each other. She loves to take rides in the truck with me when I go on errands. Why the big change? Healthy doses of love, kind discipline, healthy doses of love, proper care, and more healthy doses of love.

But there’s still one problem left: she’s terrified by thunder and heavy rain. When the thunder is far off, long before we can hear it, she gets a faraway look in her eyes and stares out the windows. And then the shaking starts, and then she pants heavily. I hold her in my lap and wrap my arms around her, pet her, and talk to her. “Don’t worry, Lexi. We’ll keep you in here where it’s nice and warm and dry, and we’ll protect you. Everything will be OK.”

Am I so much different than Lexi? Sometimes the thunderstorms of life are severe and I get scared. One day, when the Lord and His disciples took a boat ride across the lake, a bad storm arose and the boat began to be swamped (Luke 8:22-25).  The disciples were terrified, and after they woke Jesus from His nap they said, “Master, master, we are perishing!” He asked them, “Where is your faith?” Yes, we can be very afraid. At such times it is necessary to grab the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit (which is the word of God) (Ephesians 6:10-18) and control the mind, spirit, and emotions. He spoke and the storm ceased. All became calm.

The current storm in my life has been exceptionally intense, and I’ve been terrified. I’ve been reading in the Old Testament book of Isaiah and I returned to this passage in chapter 14:

The Lord of hosts has sworn:

“As I have planned,

so shall it be, and as I have purposed,

so shall it stand,

that I will break the Assyrian in my land,

and on my mountains trample him underfoot;

and his yoke shall depart from them,

and his burden from their shoulder.”

This is the purpose that is purposed

concerning the whole earth,

and this is the hand that is stretched out

over all the nations.

For the Lord of hosts has purposed,

and who will annul it?

His hand is stretched out,

and who will turn it back?

(Isaiah 14:24-27 ESV)

Two months ago Carla and I stood in the British Museum in London and looked at some of the ruins of the Assyrian empire.  We saw the carved stone reliefs that used to line palace walls a few thousand years ago, and it was clear that the Assyrians were heartless, cruel people.  This passage in Isaiah was, in fact, written after Assyria had already fallen, and as such it isn’t a prophecy of things to come.* It’s a reminder of the time when God said that He would destroy the Assyrians, and so it is a reminder that God does what He says He will do. It’s also a reminder that once God makes up His mind to do something, there is no power in the universe that can stop Him. He is omnipotent.

And so the wind rages and the waves toss over the edge of the boat.  At least once I think I’ve had that look in my eyes, and the Lord gently said, “Brian, where is your faith?” I meditated on Isaiah 14, and I again recognized that He is fully able to do anything He wants to do in order to stop the storm. My mind, spirit, and emotions calmed down.

*After I published this post a friend pointed out that the commentary I consulted was wrong about the chronology of this passage.  This was, in fact, a prophecy that was subsequently fulfilled.  Nevertheless, the point regarding God’s omnipotence is still valid.