A police officer was sitting in his car with his K9 partner in the back seat. A man walked over and said to him, “Good afternoon, officer. Is that a dog behind you?” The officer said, “It sure is.” The man responded, “Wow, what did he do?”
“A lover tries to stand in well with the pet dog of the house.”
Molière
(1622 – 1673, French playwright, actor, director)
“There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!’ You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” Psalm 4:6-7 ESV
How is it Famous makes me happy? Like most dogs, he is a good companion. He is eager to accompany me wherever I go. But he is also a good dog, rarely causing any trouble for me. He has adjusted to changes in my life, and I have had to adjust my life just to look after him. He makes me proud with the compliments he receives and with his willingness to behave around other people and other pets. He is often a point of conversation in my work during the day, and people who have never met him will ask me how he is getting along. He makes home more complete, and he inspires me to think on my God.
All of these things make me very grateful for his presence. But perhaps what thrills me and gives me the greatest joy is when I see him happy, when he seems to want to tell me he does not have a care in the world.
This is how God desires for all of us to exist. We are to rest in his sanctuary without a care in the world, basking in the joy that floods our souls. Nothing on earth can satisfy like the love of Christ. Nothing on earth can outshine the glory of his presence.
I need Your joy to satisfy me day by day, O Lord.
“But now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well.” I Kings 5:4 NLT
There are days when it seems nothing remarkable is happening. Famous and I wake up and go about our routine. We walk, we eat, and we share each other’s company. He might see a cat. I might hear from a friend. We do what we always do, and it works. There are no floods, no emergencies, no rainbows, no gains, and no losses.
But these are the days that put a smile on my face and enable me to get a good night’s rest. I know there will be days in the future where I feel like I am juggling six or seven balls at once, where Famous will not want to stick to the routine, or when I may not even be able to see him for a few days. Those are the times when I will long for these unremarkable days marked by peace and satisfaction.
In our routines, whether they be harsh or comfortable, we must remember God’s abiding presence. We should find gratitude in all of his blessings and not seek to be reminded of God only when we call out to him to fix us. We should actively pray to God not only for ourselves, but also for our neighbors, our nation, and our world, that they all would know days without suffering, where everyone has the routine of spending time with God and communicating with God.
If today turns out to be an ordinary day, then thank you, Lord, for the beauty of peaceful routine, and help me to bring about change which will make it available to more people around me.
“The underground waters stopped flowing, and the torrential rains from the sky were stopped.” Genesis 8:2 NLT
The rains have been steady for the past two days with another day full of precipitation ahead. The good news: Famous does not mind the rain. The bad news: I am forced to enjoy it as much as he does. That being said, I do everything to repel the water off of us in an effort to stay comfortable and to avoid turning the house into a slippery swamp when we return. Yes, Famous has his own coat which works well to keep most of him dry. I mean, his own coat which I bought. With rain gear and radar maps on my smart phone we can normally avoid a drenching. But we do avoid long hikes in such conditions. Then we would be soaked throughout.
We will always face times when we are inundated with responsibilities, burdens, expenses, and uncertainties. Some of them we cannot avoid. These must be faced with courage knowing we do not face them alone. Others, however, may have been the result of our failure to listen to God’s instructions, to place him first in our lives, and to refuse temptation. At that point it may be too late to build an ark, but God will still be able to stop the “torrential rains.”
Show me today, Lord God, what I must do to avert looming disasters, and help me to survive the ones I cannot avoid.
Many times I would doubt my ability to care for Famous when I first brought him home. Did I give him the proper food and the right amount? Did I spend enough time with him? Did I choose a good veterinarian? Did I groom him properly? Did I offer him enough exercise?
Teach me the lesson of moving beyond my doubts today, Lord, when they overtake me.
We (I) decided we (I) would very much enjoy a good hotdog for lunch yesterday. We (I) do not normally go out in search of a good hotdog to satisfy a craving, but it seemed like a tasty and fun way to celebrate the warm weather and a chance for us (me) to do something outside. Usually, the hotdog comes to me as part of the acceptable bill of fare at a cookout or a ballgame. (And you would think that you could find a hotdog on every corner of town like a hamburger, but you would be mistaken.) I knew there were good hotdog spots on the other side of town, but I was hoping to save time and gas and find a good hotdog within a mile or two, so I looked on the internet. I found the recommendations for the places across town, and then I found one less than three miles away. I had eaten there under a previous management, but the review said it still had a good dog. So I packed up Famous, his leash and water bowl, a lawn chair for me, and we set out for our (my) tasty lunch.
Father, deliver me from my troubles today and equip me to serve others who may not know You as their Deliverer.
A guy is driving around Oklahoma and he sees a sign in front of a house: “Talking Dog For Sale.” He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the backyard and sees a Labrador Retriever sitting there.
“You talk?” he asks.
“Yep,” the Lab replies.
“So, what’s your story?”
The Lab looks up and says, “Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running.
“But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security wandering near suspicious characters and listening in.
“I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.”
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
“Ten dollars,” the guy says.
“Ten dollars? This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?”
“Because he’s a good for nothin’ liar. He never did any of that stuff.”
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NLT
Minor surgery restricted my normal activity yesterday. Once the biopsies, surgical preparation, incisions, and suturing are done, then it is time for the healing. I try to embrace this time as a gift, as I have often said to the many patients coming through my clinic. I would never wish illness on anyone, but when Life grabs our attention and suddenly causes everything to come to a halt, then it can be an excellent opportunity to stop and take stock of where we are on the journey.
The nicest part of resting at home yesterday was being able to spend the day with Famous. He is a great part of my healing process when I might otherwise feel disheartened by the turn of events. He did not give a second look to the bandage on the side of my head. He was happy to chill with me while we let the rest of the busy world go by for once. I knew that in just a few days I would be back in the race.
When we face the times that are different, stressful, and uncertain, remember God has already prepared the resources that will see us through.
Help me to completely believe today that You will care for all my needs.
With onset of his hearing loss Famous has to watch me more carefully when he needs information. He carefully looks at the expression on my face and the directions I give him with my hands. I honestly think he can read my lips when it comes to familiar phrases such as “out” and “walk.” He learned sign commands as part of his puppy training, but I’m also starting to use new hand signals for everyday words such as
“eat” and “water”. I am also aware that he may not hear me respond if he barks at the door or if I call him from another room. I make the extra effort to let him see me responding and communicating.
Guide me with Your voice and help me to open my ears to Your words of life.
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