“O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me.”  Genesis 32:11  NLT

We were walking our usual walk around a neighborhood park. On the other side of the park I noticed a boy with a small dog on a leash. At some point I heard the boy yelling, “Lucky!” and I turned to see the dog had escaped his owner and was running towards Famous. He was calm enough at first, but once the boy arrived and tried to untangle Lucky’s lead from ours, the little dog starting growling and snapping at Famous. Famous, being tangled in the leads as well, barked in defense as I stepped between them while untwisting the leads. In seconds the crisis was over, and the boy offered a “sorry” as he left with Lucky in tow.

We often forget God is ready to step in just when we need him most. Life can change in a moment, and unless we are used to calling on his name, our thoughts may not turn to him during a catastrophe. Instead, we allow fear to rule our minds and exacerbate the circumstances.

Dear God, teach me the steps of daily communion with You so that I may not fear any changing circumstances. 

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:29-31  NLT

When Famous was all but four months old I took him on his first real hike. I parked the car at the top of the mountain at the visitors’ center, attached his leash, and off we went down the unfamiliar trail. It was a warm day, so I was grateful we were walking in the shade of tall trees. His short puppy legs had grown over the summer into long, lanky, “teen-age” ones, and he was eager to pull me along the path. We passed a few other hikers, everyone enjoying the warm air. As the trail approached the side of the mountain it became so steep I knew we would have a pretty tough time trying to retrace our steps to the car.

Suddenly, we met the main road that ascended the mountain. I knew we could follow it back up to the top where the car was parked. But the road was narrow, and we had to be aware of traffic coming around the curves before and behind us. And without the trees to give us cover, it became hot walking up the asphalt. Famous, who had never a day in his life walked this far, began to pant and look at me with that, “Are we having fun yet?” look on his face. By taking the road, we increased our walking distance by three or four times what the trail had offered, and it was a steady climb the whole way. I finally felt sorry for getting my buddy into this hot hike and carried him the last fifteen minutes. At last we arrived and we were both eager to enjoy the cool breeze through the car as I drove down the mountain road and the evening meal and replenishing rest we had that night.

Many times we choose a path that drains us of our resources. We look back on the year we have traveled and wonder how on earth we got ourselves into such a mess! But no matter how lost we feel or how weary we become dealing with the same thing over and over again, God can find us and bring us new strength. He can pick us up and bear the load we thought we could manage on our own.

Dear God, teach me to seek Your wisdom to prevent me from walking in harm’s way. Help me to recover in Your holy peace when the world overwhelms me. 

 

“Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.”  John 4:6  NLT

Famous seems to enjoy our walks through the park as much as I do. With many paths to choose from, we rarely travel exactly the same course. If the weather is warmer than usual,  or if we are walking when the sun is high overhead, our usual jaunt leaves him panting and tiring more easily. If the plan is to stay and rest on a grassy hillside, then I pack water bottle and dog bowl to relieve his thirst. But if we are planning a brief stay, he can find water, if he chooses, from the fresh bowls placed outside store fronts. He has learned where he can find a cool drink from strangers. He has even been invited into the air conditioning a couple of times!

Jesus had gotten ahead of his disciples when he found himself at the well of Jacob. He asked a perfect stranger for a drink for his human thirst. This was a real need, but Jesus knew the woman’s need was greater. Even though he required rest and refreshment, she required self-worth and recognition. Her response to his need would end up becoming a blessing for her.

We need to recognize our own needs and be willing at times to ask for gifts of kindness. Perhaps our cries for help can become someone else’s opportunities for blessing.

Dear Jesus, direct my feet to the individuals whom You know will be responsive to my needs today, and help me to show the same kindness of heart to others. 

“Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me.”  Psalm 116:7  NLT

It has been a good day. It is always a better day when Famous and I have been able to hang out. But the day cannot end well unless we are both ready to end the day together. Even if I stay up late, Famous naps near me until it is time to go to bed. Sharing each other’s company gives the day a peaceful ending.

I think we tend to complicate the world we live in. Granted, it is a complex mixture of social experiences, politics, power hierarchies, racial tensions, and economics. But if the very best of what we can do could be focused on the simple act of being good to one another, we could all be at rest. But bad things are happening all around us, and yet everyone seems bewildered. We seem shocked when we are reminded there is evil in this world. And I think this makes the solutions we begin to seek more elusive.

So until the answers become a little more clear for all of us, I suggest we take a lesson from Famous and rest in the goodness which is around us. Everyone needs to know peace, but the greatest blessing is knowing we have secured that peace for others.

Dear Jesus, today is a day for my eyes to be opened onto how I can share Your goodness with others.

 

 

“Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.”  Hebrews 4:8-9  NLT

Famous is my quiet napper. If I am home for two or three days in a row, it becomes obvious he is getting behind on his daytime rest. After staying up with me, going in and out of the house, making errand runs to the pet store or to the park, he crashes a little early at night, and after a couple of days he is sneaking naps while I cook or work on the computer. (On quiet weekend afternoons with my house chores done, I will sometimes join him for a quick snooze!)

We all need our rest. But many of us deprive ourselves of the essential sleep time that is needed each night. Imagine denying yourself one of the most enjoyable and beneficial things for us! Carry that a step further and confess you have denied yourself the peace and rest that only God can give. Because the people of Israel did not believe God would give them the promised land, they were denied the rest and abundant living they would have found there until the current generation had died. Even after this life, God has prepared a “special rest” once our earthly “toil” is through.

Christ, You alone can bring peace and rest to my soul. 

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”  I John 4:7  NLT

While the news and social media hold a harsh mirror to events in our world and in our country, the expected norm of loving and caring for one another is not deemed newsworthy. Could you imagine the length of the evening newscast if every act of kindness in your own city was reported? Every smile? Every donation of time and money? Every bent ear? Every helping hand? Instead, we are inundated with reports of inhumane acts, acts that are driven by the opposite of love. And often the response is not love, but more fear and retaliation.

I believe we know what we know. Dogs who know care, protection, and comfort respond with devotion and happiness. Dogs who know abuse, fear, and deprivation become aggressive or withdrawn.

Humans are much more complicated, but much of the same reasoning applies. Those who only know darkness and fear will find a way of coping whether it is illness, denial, or revenge. People who have the opportunity to see the power of love have a responsibility to perpetuate it. Otherwise, they risk allowing others to remain in the recesses of the darkened world. In other words, we influence what other people know.

The individual life of a dog is relatively easy to understand historically. How it is raised, nurtured, and trained produces the desired nature. There is, in addition, the factor of breeding to help predict temperament. But people more and more are sharing a social consciousness, one that is stripping away the luxury of isolation. Unless every one of us responds in love, even sacrificial love, then we have chosen to allow evil to win in some form in our society, and it will eventually consume us.

Father, help me to know Your love, to share Your love, to bring others into Your light.

“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.”  Exodus 23:12  NLT

The Bible mentions letting your ox and your donkey rest. But what about your dog? My work week is the time Famous gets to rest. On weekends when I am home, he has more activity and gets less rest! But even a man and his dog need a complete break from the weekly routine. I believe vacations can be fun and not overly stressful for either the human or the pet.

So this year our road trip will take us to sights we have never seen. Most of the fun comes from planning to stay in dog-friendly hotels and B & B’s , searching for inviting places to eat, and looking for photo opportunities. Famous travels lightly (if you do not count the twenty pounds of dog food). And he likes to sleep in the car even if I am singing along with the radio.

I find the scripture text today to be particularly interesting because it commands you to honor the Sabbath not for the benefit it gives you, but for the benefits which others receive. Often we think more about what we gain when we vary our routine, when we go on vacation, or when we attend church. Perhaps the real gift is how we are better equipped to bless others.

Teach me, Lord, to see my opportunities of rest as opportunities for blessing others.

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”  Psalm 73:26  NLT

Going to the vet’s office is not our favorite past-time. The staff is wonderful and they help me to address Famous’ changing needs. But the small exam room with its cold floor and strange barks and howls is always the setting for injections and blood samples. After one or two minutes Famous begins to convince me we need to escape from there. However, the experience is efficient and we are usually done within twenty to thirty minutes. And then I get slapped with the bill!

I am not sure how we would get through the day if I were seriously ill. Over the eight years we have shared I have not experienced a disabling injury, disorder, or virus. But I do know Famous would inspire me to recover my strength and get back into our routine quickly.

Good health and vitality are gifts we often take for granted. We should realize they can be taken away in the blink of an eye. But even in those circumstances God gives endurance and strength of heart. Famous helps to remind me of God’s everlasting presence.

Strengthen my spirit today, God, to keep my faith secure even though my health could fail me.

 

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.”  Psalm 51:12  NLT

In order to train a dog, in order to accomplish bathing and grooming, and in order to share your life with a pet, he must be willing. Whether the circumstances under which he learns be cruel or kind, and the former implies more of a breaking of its will than compliance, the dog must submit to the forces of its master in order to accomplish the task.

Since I groom Famous myself, I have to exude a confidence and competence when using grooming clippers if I expect Famous to allow me to shave so close to his head and neck. Without his complete submission, a quick jerk of his head might produce unwanted outcomes. He allows me to push and pull him, positioning him to get the particular side or angle his grooming requires. Finally, I’ll say, “We’re done!” and he can breathe a little easier while I take in his improved looks.

And even though it requires an act of submission, our souls’ restoration depends on following God’s will. He is the Master that understands the joy we can have, the perfect goal of his creation if we will only follow him. When we resist his work in us, we drive ourselves away from his perfect plan for our lives.

Father, forgive me for resisting You. Help me to continue to seek Your will in my life.

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matthew 11:29  NLT

I have to credit Famous for teaching me about still moments. There is the cup of morning coffee on the back deck while watching the birds and squirrels as the sun rises. There is the peaceful hillside with its cool breezes under the shade of a tree in the park. There is the warm salty air of the beach while listening to the waves lapping at the shore. All of these are wonderful settings which I could find myself enjoying for a few moments alone, but with Famous they become bits of eternity. He is a gentle dog and eager to share a quiet presence. I suppose I cherish these moments because I know the years with him are slipping by. If I could, I would preserve each of these times because of their joy and peace, knowing they will too soon be sweet memories.

Famous teaches me to stop and find release from the rush of the day. I see him as my mentor, reminding me of my Master who takes upon himself my yoke of sin. Together, they provide peace and temperance as the wholeness of my soul is restored.

Let your gentle peace carry me through this day, O Lord.