The Dog That Talked to God
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Discussion Questions
1. Come on now, a dog? Really? A dog talking to God? Seriously, though . . . do you think that God could, or would, use such a method to reach a person who was lost?
2. Mary shows her anger at what happened to her by turning away from religion, the church, and God. Do you think what happened to her when she finally returned to church and heard the sermon on Job could be an accurate retelling of the message—or was she just too hurt to hear the truth?
3. Besides her pain, what other obstacles did Mary face in finding her faith again?
4. Perhaps Mary’s mother-in-law meant well when she called to find out about the new man in Mary’s life—but she instead sounded scolding and accusatory. How might we be guilty of the same sort of attitude if we try to “exhort” someone who seems to be sinning?
5. Suppose Mary was only hearing Rufus’s voice in her head—can that sort of inner voice be the sort of nudge we need to turn back to God? And could the nudge from an inner voice be of a divine nature?
6. Mary gave up her nice, sort-of-safe life in suburban Chicago—and that change defined the rest of her life. Is that sort of dramatic move ever required to effect change? Could she have, or would she have made the same changes even if she had stayed where she was?
7. Do you think Billy played fair when he curtailed his relationship with Mary because of her faith—or lack of it? Couldn’t a case be made that he should have at least witnessed to her and tried to bring her back to faith?
8. Many people get stuck in a situation or an emotion because of a tragedy or dramatic event in their lives. What sort of advice would you have given Mary about dealing with her tragedy? Would that advice change over time—would the advice you offer a month after the funeral be dramatically different than the advice offered a year after the funeral?
9. Mary knows what an intimate relationship feels like—and what it all means. Does that make resisting a new intimate relationship easier or harder?
10. If Rufus really talked, and really gave good advice, wouldn’t it make sense for Mary to share that secret with someone else? Wouldn’t a person want to tell others about something miraculous in his or her life? Does it make sense that she kept it private? After all, Rufus never tells Mary to keep his talking a secret.
11. The fact that Mary had insurance money and some financial resources made it easier for her being a widow. Many widows may not have such an easy time, comparatively. Does Mary having resources prevent her spiritual growth and maturity, or does it make it harder for her to come to grips with reality?
12. Do you think that Rufus will ever talk—really speak—to Viktor’s young daughter? And how important is it for us to have someone to talk to who will never offer a judgment on what we are feeling and experiencing?
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