Under the Covers
John Fischer

I used to ridicule Chihuahua owners for choosing something that is somewhat less than a dog. Rug rat seemed the more appropriate title for this dog until I became an owner myself. Now we have two of them and I had no idea how attached I had become until, for a two hour period this week, we thought we had lost them. We couldn't find them anywhere. It seemed unlikely that they would have gotten out of our yard. One of them, the larger, older male has gotten out on two occasions, but the smaller, more timid female has never ventured out, and it was hard to believe she would leave, unless her big buddy had succeeded in convincing her she needed to see the world.

As we canvassed the neighborhood, getting everyone who was outside their house to be eyes for us, I kept checking back in the house thinking they had gotten closed in a closet or something. The third time through, I heard something from the bedroom. I walked in and there they were on top of our bed.

Ask any Chihuahua owner where their dog sleeps and chances are they will not say “on” the bed but “in” the bed. It's something that appears common to the breed. They burrow themselves down about to where your feet are and that is where they spend the night. When my wife made the bed that morning, she simply made it over them, not realizing they were there. They didn't realize it either because they were sound asleep.

I've been thinking about this ever since. I think this is a little like God who goes out after the lost while knowing where we are all along. The scripture says He knows those who are His. I don't fully understand that -- what that means for those who are not His -- but I choose to not try and figure out who is and who isn't, rather to be sure I am one who is. And the best way to do that is to stay under the covers of His protection and not wander off on my own.

I personally believe this is where all those discussions about free will and predestination need to end up. Whatever God knows, beyond what is revealed in scripture, is not our business. Staying under Him is. We were all lost at one time, and now we have been found. When we venture out, we venture not alone. We carry Him with us. Indeed, He is still seeking the lost through us. But regardless of where we are, we are not without His covering.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:14

PDL