You could say that I am going with the beagle brand because my dog at this time is…a…beagle. But there is more to this story than meets the eye.
All through my youth, teenage and even early adult years—I had a debilitating fear of dogs. It did not matter the size or breed, I would freak out if a dog came anywhere near me—especially as a child. I learned later in life that it was probably my grandmother’s dog biting me as a one-year-old that was the cause of my extreme canine anxiety. It was so bad that I told my husband when he proposed, “yes—but on one condition—NO DOGS.”
After a year of marriage, a beagle appeared on our front porch. Now my husband swears that he had nothing to do with it and that the beagle was a gift from heaven. At first, I was adamant that this dog HAD TO GO, but Ruppy, yes, I named the dog Ruppy—wiggled her way into my heart with her beagleness and changed my life. I am no longer afraid of dogs; I am now the person that will ignore everyone in the room if there is a furbaby to be petted. I love all dogs, but I have a special place in my heart for beagles because of my Ruppy.
And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49
The disciples were fearful after being the witness of the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, their beloved teacher and friend. They did not understand the full implications of what all this meant, and they were anxious about what the future held for them. Jesus knew this would happen, so He assured them that He would send the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) to give them guidance about what to say and do—no matter the situation. Jesus assured them—and us—that we are not alone (Matt.28:20). We read in Acts 2 that Jesus fulfilled His promise on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles allowing them to preach the gospel in multiple languages for all to hear. We continue to read of how the apostles went from being fearful to faithful by boldly preaching and healing, despite the threat of imprisonment, suffering, or even death.
That is what the Holy Spirit does for us—it transforms our insecurity to confidence, our anxiety to assurance, our cynicism to hope, and our disdain…to love. The transformation begins when we enter the waters of baptism receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then continues as we intentionally and continually open our hearts and minds to the working of the Holy Spirit through prayer, study, and worship. The more we commune with God through the Spirit—the clearer our path becomes and the more willing and excited we are to follow it to see where it leads.
The only way that I got over my fear of dogs was that I made the decision to not only allow Ruppy to stay on my porch that day—but also let her into my heart. As I spent time with this creature of joy, my canine perspective was changed from the dog that bit me when I was young—to this dog that licked my face. That is what the Holy Spirit does for us—if we make the decision to not only accept it, but also connect to it. When we do that—the dog eat dog world—stays a dog eat dog world—but we are not cowering in fear—we are spreading God’s love.