Featured Story: Bella's Perspective
Bella, the world's most clever and resourceful dog—at least according to Bella—had one sworn enemy: bath time.
It wasn’t that she disliked water. She loved puddles, adored lakes, and would happily dance through a sprinkler.
But the bathtub? That porcelain monstrosity was where dignity went to die.
The Great Escape Plan
Bella had a plan though. A brilliant one, if she did say so herself. Every time her human, Sarah, turned on the bathroom faucet, Bella would sprint to the bedroom, launch herself onto the bed, and burrow deep into the blankets. "Out of sight, out of bath!" was her motto.
From her pillow fort, Bella would listen to the sound of running water, smugly convinced of her own genius. "Silly humans," she thought. "they think they're so smart with their opposable thumbs, but I've mastered the art of bath avoidance!"
Misjudged Faucets and Assumed Peril
What Bella hadn’t quite grasped, however, was that Sarah used the tub for many human activities—showering, rinsing muddy shoes, or just cleaning the tub itself. It wasn’t always bath time for Bella. In fact, it was rarely bath time for Bella.
Yet every time she heard the water running, she was certain it was meant for her. So she’d vanish into the folds of her bed fortress, thoroughtly convinced of her own genius. She didn’t know it, but she was hiding from nothing. Most days, the bath wasn’t even for her.
A One-in-Thirty Defeat
The reality? Out of dozens of faucet-turnings each month, only one was actually for Bella. But that didn’t stop her from celebrating each "victory" in her blanket bunker, crouched oh-so-quietly among the bedding. "Another bath thwarted: I am unstoppable!"
Sarah, of course, knew exactly where Bella was. She'd chuckle while rinsing her hair or soaking her feet. The odd tuft of fur sticking out from under the quilt was a telltale sign that the "great escape artist" had once again taken evasive action.
The Day It Was Real
Then came that one day a month when it actually was bath time. Bella bolted for the bed as usual, her foolproof plan at the ready. But Sarah, smiling and patient, simply pulled back the blankets and scooped Bella into her arms.
As Bella was lowered into the dreaded tub, she looked at Sarah with wide, betrayed eyes. "How could this happen? I hid perfectly!" Each sudsy bubble was a blow to her illusion of control.
The Illusion of Control
Despite the overwhelming evidence—like her fur smelling like lavender soap afterward—Bella remained convinced she was in charge of her bath destiny. "Sure, this one time I didn’t make it. But the other thirty? Ha!"
Her grand escape strategy became a comic performance of imagined mastery over her life. She truly believed that diving under the covers changed her fate.
But Sarah always found her. The faucet usually wasn’t for her anyway. And when the time came, Bella got her bath.
We Do the Same Thing
Bella’s bed-burrowing antics might seem silly, but don’t we do the same? We worry. We hide. We make plans and convince ourselves that by following the right steps or finding the right metaphorical blanket we can control every outcome.
But just like Bella, our sense of control is more comforting illusion than reality. Our lives are not in our own hands—they are in God’s. “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
Gently Guided
We may believe that our maneuvers protect us from waters of life. But like Bella, when the time comes, we are gently guided where we need to go—not because God wants to punish us, but because He loves us and sees what we do not.
In the end, we aren't the ones steering the ship. And thank God for that.
Joy on the Other Side
As Bella dries off, wrapped in a towel, she quickly forgets the ordeal. Her tail wags. Her eyes sparkle. She’s already planning her next great escape.
Sarah chuckles and scratches behind her ears. “I’ll still find you next time, you know.”
Bella licks her hand, mouth wide open in a doggy grin, utterly convinced that next time, she will beat the bath.
Scripture References
- Proverbs 16:9 — “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
- Isaiah 55:8 — “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
- Romans 8:28 — “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...”