We have a dog in our neighborhood that’s a fence jumper. Every so often, even with the gate shut, he magically appears in the backyard. He’s friendly enough, but we worry what might happen if he gets in when our little dog is out.
We thought we had the problem solved. Our super-athletic trespasser liked to jump the one section of our fence that was four feet tall, so we replaced it with a six foot wooden privacy fence. We now have a tall fence around our whole backyard. “That should do it,” I told my wife.
But wouldn’t you know, one day we looked out and there he was– standing on the back patio laughing at himself in the window. What kind of dog gets over a six foot privacy fence?!
This has to be yet another metaphor for life. We build fences around our circumstances to control them. And then, when something breaches our puny perimeter, we build better ones.
Yet sometimes, no matter how hard we try, IT still happens. They make LifeProof cases for phones, but not for the human condition. And when something jumps the ‘fence’ and comes to the window, it’s easy to feel violated, unsafe and unsure about the future.
Enter God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, who most certainly understands humans.
He became one.
And, as it turns out, He’s a fence builder too.
You hem me in–behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5 (NIV)
King David doesn’t mention sideways, but surely the Almighty has that covered as well.
So friend, can we agree that whatever we’re facing right now—be it good, bad or ugly—God saw it coming and knows what to do about it?
His Word is His bond.
Kind reader, thank you for enduring my daily posts for one week. After today, I will be back to my normal schedule.
🙏❤️ prayers and love.
Photo by Dallas Reedy on Unsplash
This post first appeared on my blog in September of 2020.
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
38 responses to “Dog Gone It!”
Interesting
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I understand how some could see God’s surrounding us as constrictive. I prefer to see it as constructive–like a great big hug. Thanks for your input, Nancy. IT is always just around the corner, but God is good!
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Wonderful metaphor, David. Psalm 139:5 sounds constrictive to some; it represents safety and security for me. Praise God for his protection, provision, and strength when IT happens!
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Nice read
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Very much 🙂
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Thanks, Andy B. God has us surrounded!
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Amen. Love that scripture.
Andy B
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Love it!
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Amen, sister. Our encounters with the fence jumper are when I first learned of the Coyote Roller.
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Coyote rollers, brother. Coyote rollers. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
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You’re welcome, Nicola. Thank you for reading. God Bless!
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I think you’re right, Matt. Sometimes he gets out of his own yard and goes nuts.
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Great post David. Thank you.
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Maybe the fence jumper wants to play.
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God bless you, David! God bless you!
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I hadn’t thought about jumping the fence (out of God’s protection), but it’s all too possible. Yes, thank you, Lord for your grace and mercy! And thank you, Pure Glory, for your input. God Bless!
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The dog jumping the fence is a great story, David. Many times I have jumped the fence of God’s protection to do my own thing and it got me in trouble. Yet God is so merciful and he does know the frailties of our human condition!
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Thank you. God Bless!
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I’m glad to hear it, Cindy! Thank you, and God Bless.
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This lesson applies to my Thanksgiving Day. I won’t attempt to explain. Just know, it helped! Blessings, David!
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Your fence jumper is such a great illustration of the contrast we have provided to us in Psalm 135! Love this, David!
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Yes. That kind of trauma kills everything inside us for a while. You are such a compassionate person. I’m glad you are able to share that compassion so readily now.
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Yes it is, Pete. I remember, shortly before I answered the call to ministry, stray dogs and cats kept showing up at the house. I fed them and provided medical attention, and then they were gone. I realized later that God was training me to take care of people the same way. I think He wanted to see how I’d do with his needy creatures first.
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Your reply wasn’t too long, Betty. I asked, after all. I’m grateful I got to spend extra time with my grandmother while she was still with us. We had a 100th birthday party for her, with lots of family and gospel singing.
Thank you for praying for my son. I heard from him on Thanksgiving! He seems to be doing ok.
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Isn’t it wonderful how sometimes God teaches us big lessons from His little creatures. We once had a couple of fence-jumping outdoor loving dogs who were always getting out of their enclosure. I finally gave up, took the fence down and chained them up between taking them for walks. (We brought them inside on cold or rainy days)
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Hi David. Thank you for asking about my mom. Yes, she will be 100 on December 31. She is doing okay. Some days are better than others. She has dementia (but not Alzheimers.) So, she will repeat things constantly, but she does know me and can answer questions. Dan and I had Thanksgiving dinner with her. We just try to make the best of each day with her. We did so much with her through the years, and I’m glad we did. But how I miss those days. It reminds me of a country song I hear and like ” … You can always…. til you can’t.” That’s why I try to make those memories with my kids now. This answer was longer than you ordered, so thank you for reading. I prayed for you and your son today. And I hope you have a good rest of the weekend.
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Thank you. As you can imagine, my gift was muted for a couple of years—after experiencing some pretty significant life trauma, but it came back!
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And I am glad to have you as a member of my blogging community. You have a real gift of encouragement!!!
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I appreciate you, Betty. Your positive outlook on life is contagious—even I’m print! How is your mom doing? Will she be 100 this year?
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Our four-footed friend is an American Staffordshire Terrier (Pit Bull). Thankfully, he is friendly. Haven’t seen him in awhile, though. Thank you for sharing Psalm 3:3. It’s one of my favorites! Blessings, my brother in Christ from the kingdom of Fife. 🏴
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Yes. To quote Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.”
I am grateful to have you as a member of my blogging community. Your site gives people a place to heal. Blessings!
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David, you have an amazing gift of seeing everyday issues and turning them into a spiritual reflection. I’ve enjoyed your daily posts and always appreciate the wisdom.
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I’m so glad God hems in. There is so much uncertainty in life, so much that is outside our control. It’s good to know that God has us covered!!! There is such comfort in that. Thanks for a great post, David.
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I wonder if your intruder has some Belgian Malinois in Him? That breed is renowned for clearing very high fences, look them up on YouTube to be amazed.
I am so glad that our Father God has all sides covered;
But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
— Psalm 3:3
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Thank you, Rainer. Thankfully, we haven’t seen that dog in awhile. He looked fierce but was actually quite friendly. Have a blessed weekend, my brother!
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I appreciate the link to Daryl. I’m always on the look out for good Christian bloggers to follow.
It was quite a challenge coming up with something to post every day. I’m looking forward to once a week again!😀 Thank you for stopping by, Bridget!
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Thank you for this wonderful message. I don’t know if you follow Daryl Madden (https://darylmadden.wordpress.com), but he shares a poem each day. And today both your message and his message reminded me to TRUST! Thank you! That is always a needed reminder. And thank you for brightening our Thanksgiving week with daily posts on gratitude. Have a blessed weekend.
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Interesting read, David. It’s definitely something unexpected for us when we encounter a “fence-jumper.” I’m glad that God isn’t caught off guard.
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