The “Killer” Dog

This will be your last street. There aren’t many houses here. It’s almost dark, so we should be done soon. I’ll pick you up in just a few minutes.”

I was 14 years old and spending my summer selling Christian books door to door. This wasn’t my idea of “fun” at the time. I was much more interested in hanging out with my friends! I believed in Jesus. I loved Him, and I knew He loved me. But I was extremely shy and hadn’t quite developed an excitement for sharing my faith with others yet. But I had two older sisters, and having older sisters often means they talk you into things you wouldn’t normally do. This was the case with me that year. I found my usually shy self knocking on strangers’ doors all day long in the summer heat. I wasn’t convinced right away that this was “fun.” On this particular night, however, I was about to get a glimpse of what it was God wanted me to learn through this experience. 

My leader had just dropped me off on a quiet country road with just a handful of houses. I was looking forward to getting back home soon after another long, hot day. I thought I was finished when I saw a light shining through the trees. 

“Hmm . . . it looks like there’s another house back there,” I said to myself. “Well, no one will know if I skip that one. I’m not even sure it’s on this road.” But something inside of me kept pestering me to go knock on the door. Reluctantly I turned and trudged through the trees toward the house. As I got closer, a large dog stood between me and the front door. I stopped momentarily and remembered what we had been taught in our bookseller’s training. When it comes to dogs, always proceed with caution, and never forget to pray for safety. Well, I had grown up with dogs my whole life, and for me, the bigger the dog, the better! I had no fear of such things! But I quickly bowed my head, sent up a quick prayer, and proceeded past the dog, talking in a friendly manner to him the whole way. He simply moved out of the way and stared at me as I walked up to the porch and knocked on the door.

A few moments later a woman peered through the door window with a perplexed look on her face. She looked around the yard for something else—for what, I wasn’t sure. She cautiously opened the door and said very sternly, “Who are you? And how did you get up here?” I had no idea what the woman was talking about. “Umm . . . I walked up here,” I replied. 

I started in with my speech, explaining who I was and why I was there, but she rudely cut me off! “NO!” she persisted, “I mean, how did you get past my dog?” 

“Your dog?” I asked. “That one?” I questioned, pointing to the big dog standing below us. 

“Yes, that one,” she said. “I don’t understand. He’s my guard dog and a good one. No one has ever made it to this front door as long as he has been outside. The last person who tried about lost an arm. He doesn’t like people, but I didn’t even hear him bark at you!” 

By that time I was wondering if I should have been a little more nervous about the situation, but the “killer” guard dog looked quite unimpressed with the whole thing. I once again tried to explain to her who I was. I told her that I was selling books to raise money for my education and that I was a Christian. I told her about the prayer I had said before coming to her door, and laughed that my guardian angel must have let the dog know how nice I was! With that, the woman opened her door wide and expressed, “Well, I don’t know about that, but obviously Someone is with you, or you wouldn’t be standing here right now. I think I need to know what you’re holding in your hands. Please, come in!”

For the next several minutes the woman and I chatted about the various books I had for sale. I had health cookbooks, children’s Bible story books, and books for adults on how God wanted to change their lives for the better. She was genuinely excited for each one and ended up buying multiple books from me that night. 

She told me about some of the struggles she was having in her life and asked if I would pray for her. Right then and there I prayed with someone I didn’t know. I prayed for someone I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for my obedience to God’s voice to go and knock on the door when I wanted to go home instead. I prayed for someone I would never have met if it weren’t for the prayer of protection I had prayed before walking past her dog.

As I walked back toward the road (right past the same dog, who again stood like a statue the whole time), thoughts began to flood into my mind. I knew that I was a naturally selfish person who had a lot to learn. It was obvious that God loved me and wanted to use me even when I wasn’t always the most faithful to Him. I knew that God must have some plan for my life and for that woman’s life.

Many more miracles happened to me that summer. I saw God work in ways that no human could ever explain. Yes, I knew I still had a lot to learn in my life. But if nothing else, I learned one thing for sure: God is real, and God wants to be in my life and in the lives of others. I also learned that when God asks you to do something, obedience is always the best choice. If you don’t believe me, just ask my friend, the “killer” dog.