by M. R. Wells
His Master’s Keeper
Let God Protect You
His will is our hiding place.
CORRIE TEN BOOM
Sharon loves to fish. She doesn’t mind fishing alone—that is, without other people—but she always takes Boomer, her 120-pound Great Pyrenees. Boomer is a great companion and protector.
One day Sharon and Boomer were fishing up high in the Kern River Canyon in Central California. This area is part of the Sequoia National Forest. Various types of wildlife may be found there, including coyotes, bears, cougars, and snakes.
Sharon was doing pretty well with her fishing, but Boomer seemed very nervous about their surroundings. Sharon ignored Boomer’s concern at first, carefully climbing down the hill to fish closer to the water. That was when she heard strange sounds. She thought maybe she had better heed Boomer’s cautionary behavior. She climbed back up the hill, Boomer sticking very close. Sharon figured they were out of harm’s way so she stood on a bridge and dropped her line into the water once more. Boomer began acting even more nervous, and started trying to nudge her closer to her car. When she finally reeled up her line and started walking, Boomer gently put his mouth on her wrist and pulled her to her vehicle.
Once they were on their way down the hill, Boomer relaxed and Sharon felt that maybe he had saved her from some serious harm. That night she heard that there was a cougar attack right where they had been fishing. Because Boomer had warned her of danger on other fishing trips, she knew she needed to pay attention when his nervousness persisted. She believes he would have fought and maybe given his life to save hers.
Boomer the dog was his master’s keeper. My husband, Steve, is mine. He always tries to keep me safe. He did that yesterday when we took what I thought was a rather dangerous trip. Steve is a farmer and oversees many acres of land. He took me with him to a field where some farm work was being done way out in the middle of nowhere. There is a paved road for most of the way. But then, to get to the field, we had to drive on a road filled with very sticky mud.
I could see the danger in driving this road. It would have been impossible without a four-wheel-drive vehicle. This, of course, was what we had. Still, if I had been alone there was no way I would have even attempted it. But for Steve, it was old hat. He knew he could keep me safe and he thought it would be an adventure for me. So he just said, “Hold on, here we go!” Once we started, there was no stopping until the end. If we had stopped, we would have been horribly stuck in the heavy mud. I held on, prayed, screamed at times—and we both laughed, knowing Steve was a capable driver.
When we reached our destination, our truck was covered in mud. We could hardly see out the windows! Steve took care of his business and we visited with two other workers, George and Lupe, who laughed at me when I told them of our adventure. Then we took a less exciting route back to the main road and traveled thirty miles to our home. The danger I had sensed was real, but I had been safe in the hands of someone who knew how to handle such peril.
Many centuries ago, the Israelite prophet Elisha was in peril. The king of Israel was at war with the king of Aram. God had been giving Elisha intelligence about the Aramean army’s movements that allowed Israel to keep foiling their efforts. When the king of Aram found out, he ordered his men to locate Elisha so he could capture the prophet. They discovered Elisha was in the city of Dothan.
A strong army was sent to Dothan. Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning and saw these enemy forces surrounding the city. He was terrified at this danger. But Elisha knew that God was keeping him safe. He told his servant, “‘Don’t be afraid…Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17).
God delivered this huge army into Elisha’s hands. Elisha persuaded Israel’s king not to kill them. Instead, they feasted and were sent home to tell their king what had happened. His raids on Israel’s territory stopped.
Boomer’s job was to take care of Sharon, and he did it as well as a dog could. Steve loves me and does his best to keep me safe. But they aren’t all-powerful like God is. No matter what dangers we may face, if we trust God and stick to His path, He will keep us safe in Him.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).
Consider This:
Has a pet or human ever saved you from danger? What happened? What did you learn? Has God ever kept you from sliding down a dangerous path? How did this influence your faith?
Part III
Tales to Light Your Path
Stuart
Gentledog Stuart
Care and Share
Three keys to more abundant living: caring about
others, daring for others, sharing with others.
WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD
Stuart is a kind, considerate Welsh corgi gentleman…er, gentledog. When he wants us to go out and play, he asks. He does this by standing in front of his desired human playmate. Okay, so sometimes he also barks very loudly and obnoxiously—which isn’t the best of manners—but at least he’s polite enough to state his request.
One of Stuart’s favorite outdoor pursuits is playing ball. When the ball is thrown across the backyard, both Stuart and Squitchey, our much smaller terrier mix, take off after it in a huge rush. If Stuart gets there first he’ll pick it up, but then allow Squitchey to take it from him and run it back to their human play partner. When they were younger, both dogs would have their mouths on the ball and run side by side. But now that Stuart is a little older and slower, he lets Squitchey do the legwork as he follows proudly behind her.
There is another way Stuart cares about and shares with Squitchey. When I put a dish on the floor for the dogs to lick, Stuart licks first as the alpha dog. But at times, he licks only one half of the plate. He leaves the other half untouched so Squitchey can have it. I have seen him do this repeatedly. Does Stuart know fractions? I don’t know how he figures it out, but I think it’s amazing! As a dog, does Stuart do this out of consideration, or is it just coincidence? Much as I’d like to think it’s on purpose, I suspect the real answer is that God allows it to teach me a lesson.
I like to share, but in this life it’s easy to get wrapped up in my own world and forget to care about others. My intentions are huge, but my actions are minute. For instance, when we moved into our new home five years ago, I had every intention of hosting a barbecue for our neighbors. When the neighbors on the north side of our house had a baby, I intended to give them a baby shower. We did visit both sets of neighbors and get to know them. But now they have both moved away and my good intentions never came to fruition. They got lost in the shuffle of time.
I’ve also wanted to share our apples. We have a beautiful apple tree in our backyard. These apples make wonderfully tart pies. They are a Fleishauer specialty. My intention is to make some of these apple pies for my new neighbors—or perhaps invite them over and enjoy the pies together. It will be a sacrificial gift that I will enjoy giving. When I bake the pies, I will thank God for the apples and think about how Stuart’s sharing sets an example.
I appreciate what God has shown me about sharing through Stuart, but He has an even better story in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. The prophet Elijah had declared that Israel would suffer a drought because of their idolatry (1 Kings 17:1). God then ordered Elijah into hiding. First he went to a wilderness area and was fed by ravens. Then God sent Elijah to the home of a widow in the town of Zarephath of Sidon who He had commanded to feed the prophet.
This widow was extremely poor. When Elijah asked her for bread, she told him she had just a small amount of flour and oil. She said she was going to use them to make one last meal for her son and herself and then they would die. Elijah told her to do what she’d said, but first to make and bring him a small cake of bread. He promised if she did this, God would keep supplying her with oil and flour till the drought was over. She trusted God and obeyed Elijah. She shared her food, God kept His promise, and her flour jar and oil jug never ran out no matter how much she used.
Both Stuart and the widow were willing to care about others and not just themselves. That’s what I want to do also. Stuart shared his plate, the widow shared her food, and through their examples, I want to share my apples.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share (1 Timothy 6:18).
Consider This:
What is the most special thing someone else has ever shared with you? How did it meet your needs or bless your life? Do you have something you could share to help others, or even just make them happy?
If the Dog Says “I Do”
Seek God’s Guidance
If you can’t pray a door open, don’t pry it open.
LYELL RADER
Jody didn’t usually go for May–December romances but Snoop was the sweetest, most charming guy she’d ever met in her life. She was in her mid-twenties and he was only six weeks old when they were introduced. It was love at first sight. Jody couldn’t resist the charms of the boisterous and handsome golden retriever puppy and knew in her heart that he was the one. Snoop became her canine soul mate. She couldn’t have been more blessed.
It was a completely different story with males of the human species.
Jody had met enough Mr. Wrongs to fill a baseball stadium and had been through several failed relationships. Mr. Right was proving harder to find than an ultra-rare Honus Wagner baseball card. There are 57 known Honus Wagner cards in the world, but Jody’s universe seemed to have zero eligible men. By her account she’d gone on close to a million blind dates—or at least it felt that way to her.
When Number 999,999 opened the front gate to her walkway, Jody had a flicker of hope. He looked nice. But he’d have to pass the Snoop test. Any potential suitor had to realize it wasn’t only Jody he would be dating. It was a package deal: a girl and her dog. Jody let Snoop out and hung back on the porch to see what would happen. Snoop bounded down the steps, tail wagging, full of expectation…and the guy jumped back six feet before Snoop even had a chance to sniff him out. Jody shouted, “Oh, don’t worry, he won’t bite. The worst he’ll do is lick you to death.”
Number 999,999 recoiled as if she’d told him the dog had a combination of lice and leprosy. Lick? His tone of voice implied disgust to the nth degree.
Jody’s flicker of hope went out. Number 999,999 would be the last straw. She swore she was done with dating and decided Snoop was all the man she needed.
Of course, a few days later her roommate set her up at a restaurant with Blind Date Number 1,000,000. The date with Rick exceeded Jody’s expectations, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. She cut right to the chase and invited him home to meet her dog. It didn’t matter if Rick was charming, handsome, and gainfully employed. If he and Snoop didn’t hit it off—it was three strikes you’re out!
Jody stood in the shadows of her elevated porch and watched as Rick’s car pulled up in front of her vintage Craftsman-style house. As he opened the front gate, Snoop rushed down the steps and galloped straight toward yet another gentleman caller.
Jody fought to keep that tiny ember of hope alive in her heart. She’d never had a double win situation before. She and Snoop both had to be crazy about a guy who was crazy about them. Even if everything was perfect between her and Rick, and even if Rick liked Snoop, if Snoop didn’t bond with Rick it was a deal-breaker.
Jody held her breath and prayed. Her romantic destiny was about to be decided by a dog.
Snoop came at Rick like a smiley-faced guided missile. Rick stood his ground and smiled back. Then, in a gesture that still warms the cockles of Jody’s heart, Rick dropped down on all fours and met Snoop with a big embrace. They bonded like long-lost twins and wrestled all over the grass. As Rick let Snoop lavish his face with “disgusting” licks and kisses, Jody knew Rick was the one-in-a-million. Before he even walked through her front door, she knew the three of them would be a family.
Time proved those matchmaking instincts were right.
Jody and Rick made sure they got married in a grassy outdoor setting so Snoop could attend. When Rick whistled, Snoop the ring bearer, wearing a collar of flowers, padded down the aisle with the bands. Of course, a honeymoon fit for three had to be arranged—a month-long tour of the national parks. And when Rick went back to work at his RV repair shop, Snoop rode with him and had his own place at the shop to hang out.
A long time ago, in a land far away, someone else was faced with the challenge of finding the right mate. Abraham wanted his son Isaac to marry a girl from their homeland, not one of the local Canaanite bachelorettes. So, Abraham loaded ten camels with expensive gifts and sent his servant packing. The servant wasn’t told who the special girl was, only that God would send an angel ahead to assist him. After a long journey, the servant brought his camels to the well just outside the town where Abraham’s relatives lived. Here’s his account of what happened next from Genesis 24:42-46 (NLT).
When I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: “O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, ‘Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,’ let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.”
Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, “Please give me a drink.” She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, “Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!”
Ta da! Wedding bells for Rebekah and Isaac, just like for Jody and Rick all those centuries later.
With matrimony and other matters we consider important, God has a variety of ways to inform our decisions. His toolbox includes His Word, His Spirit, wise parents, friends, and counselors, and even plain old common sense. But for some jobs, God occasionally uses signs as well. He gave Gideon a fleece, three wise men a star, and Abraham’s servant a young woman’s offer to water camels. So, why not use the instant bonding of a canine soul mate and prospective hubby to help point Jody to the man of her dreams?
Yes, sometimes God even has a dog or two in that toolbox of His.
The LORD will guide you always (Isaiah 58:11).
Consider This:
Do you seek God’s guidance in your life? What are some ways He has informed your decisions? Did He ever give you a sign? How have His answers strengthened your faith? Is there someone you might encourage by sharing the uniquely personal way God has led you?
Skunk Wars
Learn and Live
Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
AFRICAN PROVERB
There’s an old saying: “Live and learn.” Annie the dog didn’t get the memo—at least with respect to skunks. Thankfully, the results of her actions were more fragrant than fatal, but they still got her into lots of trouble.
Annie was my friend Martha’s smart and sassy border collie/cocker spaniel mix. Martha believes that the first time Annie got skunked, she thought she was approaching a big, fluffy black and white cat. Annie wasn’t pleased with the results. Ever after, she would go into hunter mode whenever she saw a skunk…and would inevitably get the worst of the encounter.
Way too often Annie went out in the yard to do her business, only to come in reeking from her failure to l
earn from past experiences. But perhaps her most intense skunk encounter happened on one never-to-be-forgotten Sunday morning.
Martha’s house had a crawl space beneath it. Screens at different locations provided access. Martha had seen a gardener fiddling with one of them, and warned him to be sure it was properly secured in place. On this morning, Martha had let Annie into the yard and was making coffee. She heard muffled barking and went to retrieve her dog. But Annie was gone. Momentarily, Martha wondered if there was a hole in the fence. Then she turned and saw a screen off one of the crawl space openings. Oops!
Martha looked through into the crawl space. She couldn’t see Annie, but she could hear her. Hurrying back inside, Martha went to the front bedroom. The muffled barking was clearer here, and she could smell skunk.
Martha rushed out her front door and pulled the screen off a second crawl space entrance. Annie had cornered a mama skunk and her babies. She would bark. They would spray. She would bark. They would spray. And on it went. Annie refused to see the black and white truth—she would not win this battle!
Martha started phoning for professional help, but wasn’t finding anyone who’d come out. About that time she got a call from her employer. Martha was a producer for NBC News. They informed her she needed to be on a plane for Hawaii that night to work on a story.
In desperation, Martha phoned a friend who occasionally did some doggie day care for her. This friend knew Annie well. She was also more petite than Martha and could do what Martha couldn’t—squeeze into that crawl space and drag Annie out.