A Dog That Watched

 Through The Night

 

Here we have the story of Brownie – a big snarly, and stubborn dog. The pastor’s wife was returning from a meeting late at night. Her husband was out of town, and she and the children were alone. She let herself in quietly and was surprised to find the kitchen light on, with Ted, their young son, studying at the table. They commented briefly about the weather. Then she looked down and gasped. There was Brownie, their huge dog, stretched out at Ted’s feet! “Ted! What’s Brownie doing in the house? You know he’s never stayed inside before!” Ted looked up and shrugged. “He just wanted in, so I let him in. Then I decided I might as well bring my homework down here.” Brownie wanted in! That was utterly out of character for Brownie. He was a fiercely protective dog to all the family – to every one of them – and loved being with them anywhere they were – anywhere except inside. Up until now, whenever they had brought him inside, he exhibited a severe claustrophobia. He would race in terror from door to door and window to window until they let him out again. No amount of coaxing or bribing could keep him in. But there he now was, lying calmly in the kitchen like an ordinary house dog! Shaking her head in wonder at it, she went down to the basement to bolt the door leading to the outside. She came back up. Ted had gone to bed, and she was ready for sleep too. She thought she had better put Brownie out first. Brownie refused to budge. The pastor’s wife pushed and pulled, and even tried to bribe him to the door with a piece of meat. But he wouldn’t move. She gave up, shut all the doors to the kitchen, and went wearily upstairs to bed. The next morning Brownie reverted to his true nature and frantically wanted to get out of the house. Still puzzled, and wondering why the dog had been so determined to stay inside all the night before, she started downstairs to turn on the furnace. At the bottom of the stairs she felt a breath of cold, damp air. And then a wave of panic hit her. The outside door was unbolted from the inside and open! Someone must have been in the basement and let themselves out of the door. She knew that she had bolted it securely. That person must have been there when she went down to bolt the door! Now it all made sense. Whoever was in the basement had heard her noisy yet unsuccessful attempts to get Brownie out of the house. And he knew he would have to come up through the kitchen and encounter that fierce and angry dog – or else just go back out the way he had come in! She was sure that God and His angels must have caused Brownie to stay in to guard them safely from unknown dangers through the night.