The Great Sambo sounds like a magician's name doesn’t it? By the way, I prefer the term illusionist. Actually, The Great Sambo was my dad’s dog.
Sambo was a Great Pyrenees. In case you are unfamiliar with that breed, they are very large dogs, but they have gentle demeanors. Sambo definitely had that, thank goodness.
Knowing my daughter Sara liked dogs, Dad had us bring her to his home to see Sambo when he got him. At this time Sara was three years old. It was a very cold winter’s day so, we had her bundled up so much that she resembled a caterpillar in a cocoon.
We took her to the fence to see Sambo. Sara wanted to go inside the fence, so my dad took her in while Tim and I stood on the other side. She wanted to be put down, so daddy sat her down next to him.
Sara awkwardly tried to walk toward Sambo. At the same time, he walked toward her, causing him to bump into her. Being all bundled up, she wobbled and fell down. When Sambo came to a stop, Sara was lying on the ground directly under him.
She immediately began to scream and cry. To his credit, Sambo came to a stop and stood still. Even though she wasn’t hurt, Tim and I rushed toward the gate. It was a gut reaction. My dad picked her up and cradled her in his arms. After we calmed her down, we reassured her it was an accident and Sambo wouldn’t hurt her.
I was very concerned since I didn’t want her to have the fear of dogs that I had as a child. To be honest, I was terrified of them. My great grandfather had two chihuahuas that he always brought with him when he visited my grandparents’ house. I was very small, but I can remember running from them and having to keep my feet in a chair because they were nipping at my feet.
It took me years to get over that fear and I didn’t want that for Sara.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
Even though Sara was afraid, as her parents, we knew she was alright. I wonder how many times I have let fear get the best of me when God was watching over and upholding me. It’s easy to do, but as believers, we need to not let fear be an initial reaction. Just as my dad did with Sara, God will lovingly gather you in His arms and get you through the situation.
As you can see in the picture, Sara did not develop a fear of dogs. She has four dogs of her own, plus she fosters animals for the animal shelter. I often refer to her as “The Dog Whisperer.”