Do You Trust?

Charlie, our dog, received a Christmas present from Sarah, our daughter Tammi’s dog. His tail was beating a rhythm against the wall as I helped him unwrap it … Pup-Peroni sticks. He danced around the room as I ripped the top of the package off. Now he could smell it and his enthusiasm grew.

Let me set the stage for what happened next.

Apparently as I walked on the carpet, rubbed against the wrapper as I took the paper off and then slid my hand around on the package … I created an electric charge in my hand. I removed one stick from the package, held it toward Charlie and he grabbed for it with his mouth. I heard the spark of electricity as he yipped and jumped backward. It had shocked him.

He no longer trusts me. 

 

When I hold a treat out for him, he paces the floor and makes little growling noises at me. I say, “It’s alright Charlie” but he doesn’t believe me. I repeatedly assure him that the treat is his for the taking … and there are no consequences … but he paces and mumbles.

We, as human beings, are just like that. We’ve been burned by someone we trusted and so refuse to trust again. Perhaps it was an intentional act toward us … or maybe that other person intended no harm. But the result was painful to us emotionally.

And so we refuse to trust again.

Just as Charlie missed out on a treat due to his lack of trust, we miss out on many blessings as we protect ourselves. Yes, we may get burned again. But what about all the treats we miss out on as we pace and mumble about the wrongs that have been done to us?

Do you trust?

“God makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet.” Psalm 103:6 (MSG)