Don't be stupid

A couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned I should get a yappy little dog for protection. Yappy little dogs are handy for yapping at just the right moment to hopefully scare of any marauders lurking around your house.
I shrugged it off and didn't even consider it again until this morning, early morning, when I was woke up by a sound (that I want to quickly point out I later found out it was nothing), and as I laid in the darkness listening to the sound I thought, "Sure would be nice to have a yappy dog about now."

And as I sat and thought about all those things my frustration level went back up. I'm a teetotaler when it comes to some things. And any gap in the totality causes me to doubt.

Why would a Christian need a dog for protection?

This post really isn't about dogs. I'm protected for a bunch of things. I pay good sums of money every year to make sure my car is protected in case of an accident, because "Don't be stupid, it's the smart thing to do."
I pay good sums of money every year to make sure my house is protected in case of, of all things, "Acts of God".
Another insurance company called last night asking if I wanted to protect all the equipment in my home for a low $40.67 a month.
My doors are locked at night, and I don't venture into bad neighborhoods because, "Don't be stupid, it would be unwise to do anything else."

And yet, isn't the Christians standpoint that God allows many afflictions, but has promised to deliver us through them?

I said recently that I've realized that God lets a lot of things through His hand of protection, and I'm just wondering out loud right now if all of our protective measures are just to protect us from the things God would let us go through that we don't want to?

At what point do our own protections turn from 'It's the wise thing to do" to a simple lack of trust in God.
**Hold in perspective here, this writer is currently sequestered in her home, plugging her ears to the bad news of the world while questioning her salvation. Trust, is a serious issue.**

In reading a book a few years back there was a young girl about to take a walk in the woods with two young men with very bad intentions, because they told her they were willing to listen to her tell them about Jesus. One of her friends saw what was about to happen and before they could make it to the woods he stopped them, and ultimately ended up fighting with the two guys to get them to go away. The friend asked the young girl if she knew what those two guys were up to, and she said yes, but it was worth for the chance that they might listen to the message of salvation.

Most people, most Christians, would shake your head at that foolishness. But I haven't seen too many Christians shaking their heads over the missionaries going into areas where their lives may be in jeopardy on the chance that they might win one. Not many call Jim Elliott foolish.

So where is the line? Where do you drop your own protections and simply rely on the protection of God, and trust in the allowances of God when bad things happen? **Keep in mind also, I believe the protection of God includes that urging to get out of situations**
When do you get rid of the yappy dog and say "If the Lord Wills, tonight I shall sleep and wake up tomorrow".
And, does the presence of a yappy dog mean that whether the Lord allows it or not, you're going to keep it from happening?