“Where’s Stetson?” my husband inquired this week as he hopped out of his truck. “If we don’t watch him, he’s gonna become eagle food!”

I hurried out of the garage with Stetson in my arms as my husband described what he had witnessed to cause his alarm. In what was a perfect “nature in action” moment, he watched as a mature eagle swooped down onto a pair of mallards.

While we all expressed great relief that the ambush had proven fruitless, it is our dog Stetson who most concerns us.

Mr. Big Deal. Sir Buffness. The nicknames continue to evolve as we live with a dog we believe to be about as precious as dogs can be. Nobody in our family could have predicted the great love that has developed for this teacup Chihuahua. We have always been about big, outside dogs that break brush and romp with the men.

Stetson defies it all by weighing just over 2 pounds and preferring human laps to sleep on and outings in the family car, where he can plaster his tiny wet nose against the car windows for a closer look at the outside world.

A problem has arisen of late, however. He loves the hot weather, there are bunnies to chase, and Stetson believes our proclamations that he has big “guns.” He wants to explore outside, run into the bushes, and visit the neighbors. But there are dangers outside. They fly like eagles and prowl like coyotes.

No doubt about it: He’s a tasty morsel for the predators that lurk. Rather than confine him to the indoors, we have made a vow to supervise his outings. Keep him in sight and don’t allow him to wander too far so he can be rescued if necessary.

It’s the interruptions that occasionally frustrate me. I don’t always want to stop and take Stetson outside. He likes to dilly-dally and I’ve got my list of things to do. Yet I cannot be inconsistent and neither can the other members of my family. Stetson needs to be protected. There is ever-present danger. We must be on call to oversee his activities or risk a devastating result.

God has used this situation to remind me this week of His nature and His desire.

His nature? He is a consistent God. He never sleeps. He never tires. He relishes in caring for us, nurturing and loving what He creates. The Bible says God is like a shepherd and we are like sheep. Defenseless, sheep are dependent on a smart, diligent shepherd to select the safest trails and check out the pastures to remove dangerous plants and obstacles from the terrain. To stay awake when it is dark and stormy. To guard and protect them during the night.

His desire? To continually interact with us and demonstrate His eternal love, no matter our circumstances. He seems unwilling to remove our own freedom and therefore He allows us to struggle and live with danger. He lives to see us grow in strength and inspiration for others. Yet He continually brings us a new day and new seasons when He can work through events to demonstrate His love for us.

And because God is on call, to shepherd us and remain steadfast even though life is never the same one day to the next, so will I practice a shepherding attitude by taking care of Stetson to the best of my ability. I’ll shepherd this little dog because of my love and concern for him and because I wish to model as best I can the devotion I receive from my Shepherd.

I’m rather used to the smudgy car windows and his greeting at the door. I don’t want a day to go by without him.