Words By: Troy Wong

Yeow!!!! I was testing the electric wire that I just installed around most of my backyard.

Bauer has separation anxiety. Since the beginning he and I have done this sick dance. He'll find a loose slat in the fence and crawl through, I'll secure the slat. He'll jump over the corner of the fence, I'll block that corner and put drywall screws in near the top to inflict pain if he tries again. He'll jump on the trash cans and then over the wall, I move the trashcans & extend the front gate from 6' to 8'. It's a sick mixture of Hogan's Heroes and the scene in Jurassic Park with velociraptors in the electric cage being playing out in backyard. Fortunately, every time he gets out he either jumps into bed of my truck or waits on the porch. His intent is not to escape and roam around, it's to escape and be with the family. If he can't find the family he'll wait at home until we come back.

A couple weeks ago, Julie and I were spending a mini-weekend away. While we were gone for two days and one night the dog escaped. He probably waited around the house for a while, but when he realized we weren't coming back anytime soon he went to the local shopping center to look for us. He knows that place because we've walked him there quite a few times. Apparently he scared more than a few people, got picked up by the sheriff, then dropped off at the pound. His bail was about $75. We were worried, because for the first time he didn't stay home. He could have gotten hit by a car. So I installed the electric wire.

God is a jealous God. He wants us to love him and to be safe with him. He will sometimes inflict pain and bring suffering to keep us from straying into sin and to bring us back to him. The pain is not because he hates us and wants to see us suffer. It's because he loves us and wants to keep us safe (Hebrews 12.1-17). I'm just glad God doesn't use and electric fence with me – those things hurt.

In Christ,
Troy