My Nine-One-One

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 NIV

We have three dogs at home. Our fur babies. Although two of them are already 63 years old in dog years, they are still our babies. Luna, our son’s dog, is an Australian shepherd. Being such, she has an inherent instinct to herd. Our two other dogs, Mayer and Pepper, are Dachshund and Dachshund-Chihuahua respectively. Luna terrifies them, especially when she starts herding them. Mayer and Pepper have different approaches to their fear.
With the agility of a football receiver, Pepper dashes to his dog house, slipping from Luna’s grasp. Mayer, on the other hand, finds solace by my legs, jumping up and down begging to be carried in the safety of my arms.
I have had more than my fair share of being scared and terrified. Most of these experiences occurred when I was very young. They reoccurred during my premenopausal years, when I was beset with anxiety, vertigo, and hot and cold flashes. Several times I’ve had to be transported via ambulance to the emergency room. If you haven’t experienced being on an ambulance, IT IS TERRIFYING, especially when the EMT’s and paramedics have their sirens on, and they are weaving in and out of traffic.
Recently, our best friends, my husband, and I went on a three-hour, spur-of-the-moment drive and hike to Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir, CA. It was past noon when we started our twenty-minute hike beside railroad tracks, under the sweltering heat of the sun. I didn’t think I could make it. My heart raced. My mind ran scenarios of me dropping down to the sharp-rugged ground beneath my feet in an apparent heart attack. I was not feeling fit for this hike. I had three sleepless nights before this and I was tired.
Then in the distance–a shady patch! This was what I needed. As I persisted on, I looked for these shelters and it gave me the strength to carry on. Psalm 91:1 reminds us, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” I can run like Pepper when I feel scared, or I can approach my Father and ask to be carried in His arms so I can dwell in the shelter of the Most High. I can hold on to His Words in Psalm 91:1 as my nine-one-one.

We made it to and from Mossbrae Falls!