Category: Dogs

  • Unintended Results – Love your neighbor

    Genni the wonder dog

    I was looking through my photos recently and came across one  of Genni the Wonder Dog. She used to feature prominently in the first incarnation of Gleanings (started in January 2001 – ended about 2011).

    Genni was a cute puppy when she chose me outside the SPCA. A fellow was dropping off an unplanned litter, and we asked to see them. The neighbor’s dog had managed to get together with his purebred border collie. I picked one up and Genni immediately adopted me.

    I remembered a time she had damaged some knee ligaments in one of her back legs and had been busy recovering and doing very little walking. After a few days of resting, I took her outside for a gentle stroll.

    The instant we got outside, she went up on her hind legs and hit the end of the lead hard. She just kept pulling. It took a moment for me to realize that she had seen a rabbit on the lawn, and the rabbit was now making a beeline for the park across the street. 

    We managed to walk maybe 20-30 yards before she had to sit down and rest her knee.I ended up carrying her partway back. I’m sure that was a sight. This dog with a full-sized Border Collie body (but Basset Hound length legs) cuddled safely in my arms as I walked home. I wondered who the smart one really was.

    What had started as a nice therapeutic stretch ended up with her crippled back up again. It would be a few days before we could give it another try.

    Sometimes in life, the best-intentioned plans don’t work out as we think they should. We try to make amends in a damaged relationship, and it just causes more hurt. We try to explain, but it only makes things worse.

    You try to help someone, and they take advantage of you or your generosity. You help someone else with a project, and they get the promotion you deserved. You do the right things for the right motives, and it just backfires.

    Sometimes we wonder if it’s even worthwhile trying.

    The Bible tells us that it’s part of our job to love our neighbor even when it’s not appreciated or rejected outright.

    “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 

    As a believer, you are required to do your part, which is to love even the unlovable. You’re not responsible for how they respond. That part is up to God to deal with.

    Even a non-believer finds it easy to love or give when it’s appreciated. It’s when things don’t go as we think they should that the rubber hits the road. Do you still love and give, even when there’s nothing in it for you except heartbreak? Do you love your neighbor?

    Obedience isn’t always easy, but in the long run, it’s the most important thing next to the decision to accept Jesus Christ.

    Until next time, may you love your neighbor even when the walking gets tough.

    Kevin

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  • Herded

    A faithful dog reminds me of God’s faithfulness

    A border collie laying and watching
    Border collie

    The day’s events remain fresh in my memory. Many years  ago, Kathy and I took a summer drive to an old campground on the lake. Over the years, I had been involved in several men’s fishing retreats there, but Kathy had never been out to that lake. The facility was still there, although the province was no longer maintaining it.

    We parked and walked around. To our surprise, a big old border collie came to check us out. He likely lived in one of the homes not far away. He was starved for affection and immediately adopted me. Wherever we walked, he was at my side, getting petted.

    Finally, it was time for us to leave. He didn’t want to see us go. As we tried to drive away, he went into classic collie mode and tried to herd us back to our parking space. If I cut to the left, he moved in front of us to the left and then lay down. If I moved to the right, he did as well. If I tried to go straight, he went to the front of the van.

    It took some time before we were able to get clear of him. He was very determined that we could be herded into staying.

    His determination reminded me in a strange way of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit never gives up on us. He wants to see us drawn into the fold with Christ and Father. He testifies to us about Jesus. He convicts us of our sin. He’s constantly at work to help us find our way to salvation.

    He does all that because Father loves us and wants us to choose Him. The Apostle Peter writes of waiting for Jesus’ return.

    This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:1-8

    That gives me hope as I wait for His return. I have friends and family who don’t yet know Him. As much as I eagerly await His return, I long for those friends and family members to find their true freedom in Him. I know He’s on their trail and calling to them. My prayer for them is that they listen.

    Until next time, rejoice that He loved you enough to track you down and herd you back to the fold. Rejoice that He’s still out there herding the lost.

    Kevin

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