Storms rumbled through our neck of the woods last night. Usually when discussing storms on December 31st, the topics of ice and snow monopolize the news. However, thunder, lightning, and wind whipped rain ruled the darkness with wailing tornado sirens greeting the dawn. Our 85 pound Boxer/Lab despises storms, and last night her fear of such inclement weather culminated in a laughable moment.
About 11:00 pm the storms fired up. Sam sleeps beside our bed, but an ominous clap of thunder sent Sam lunging into bed with my wife and I, cowering. With some coaxing and muscling, Sam groaned, reluctantly 
slipping to the floor. Within minutes, she leaped on the bed again, panicked over the howling elements. After forcing her down, I smiled as I heard my wife softly singing…to our dog. “Jesus Loves Me”, “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger” soothed our beloved pet’s nerves, and soon Sam flopped onto her side, snoring. On countless occasions, my wife has used that technique to calm our children, but I’d never heard her crooning lullabies to our canine. When I teased her about serenading our dog this morning, she replied with a grin, “Well, it worked.”
With a little thought, a spiritual lesson comes to mind. Proverbs 12:10 begins, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal…” Jesus reminded His followers, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” God cares about all of His Creation. However, the point to Jesus’ message was not to fuel the fire of animal rights activists, but to remind us of God’s love. Jesus continued by saying, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” And there’s the lesson: God loves the animals we love, but loves us more. In fact, singing to someone we love, whether man or beast, illustrates once again God’s tender love for us. Zephaniah 3:17 continues to be one of my favorite Scriptures. It states, “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” What an incredible thought! The God who fashioned the universe together loves us so much that He expresses His love by singing over us.
The next time the storms of life rage round about you, ask the Father to soothe your heart with a Heavenly refrain. Soon you’ll find the peace of God which passes understanding will quiet your whimpering soul, allowing you peace in spite of the storm.
I like it. Poor Sam! If only singing worked for calming everyone else down, too… Way to go Delania!
Wonderful! I am glad I am not the only one who sings to the dogs to calm them down. It does work. What a great thing to know God’s love for us, and His creatures.
Aww…what a sweet story. Thank you for sharing, and I am now off to read Part 2.