Douglas - Dog lovers devotional: what we learn about life from our canine companions

2012 by Katherine Anne Douglas

Print ISBN 978-1-61626-830-5

eBook Editions:

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62029-080-4

Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62029-081-1

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the H OLY B IBLE , N EW I NTERNATIONAL V ERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked P HILLIPS are taken from The New Testament in Modern English 1958, 1960, 1972 by J. B. Phillips.

Cover Photo: Ocean Photography

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

Printed in the United States of America.

This book is dedicated to
my sister, Lucy Kay Napier,
who has been a passionate animal
lover (horses, dogs, cats, birds, snakes,
goldfish, turtles, and everything in
betweenexcept for her nemesis, raccoons)
for as long as any of us can remember.

F riends, relatives, and total strangers have contributed to this book. People at work left me notes; friends living states away sent e-mails. With the tenacity of bulldogs, members of my church family hunted me down with their delightful stories. My mom (and proofreader), Betty Vicary, garnered stories from friends in Ohio, Michigan, and Florida. With the encouragement of my friend Linda, I approached total strangers in restaurants, parks, and airports with one question: Would you tell me about your dog? Men in law enforcement such as Brian Woods and Detective John Greenwood (whom Ive never met) and our good neighbors next door have all provided me with some of the stories you will read here. A special thanks to my colleague Chuck Miller for his reflective quotes used throughout this book. Much of the credit for this work goes to Kelly McIntosh at Barbour Publishing. A devotional book for pet lovers was her idea.

To all of these folks and others whom I hounded for stories and anecdotes, thank you!

P ets have been around since the Creator God started it all. The progenitor of the human race, Adam, was given the high honor of naming every animal in the Garden of Eden. While all animals have value, dogs in particular provide us with entertainment, affection, exercise, and companionship. They make an excellent pair of eyes when our eyes arent excellent, their noses are superior to any smoke detector we might have, and their ears dont miss the faintest sound. They fiercely protect our young as well as their own. Those of us who have dogs think everyone should have a dog and that there must be something terribly wrong with those who dont.

We teach our dogs tricks: how to roll over, sit, fetch, speakeasy lessons when you think about it. Our dogs teach us the tougher stuff: patience, self-sacrifice, tenacity, gentleness, waiting on God. Dogs can be invaluable teachers when it comes to lifes hardest lessons.

Every day we take the time to feed our dogsor make sure they have food and water available to feed themselves. We care for them because we care about them. The Bible says the righteous man cares for the needs of his animal (Proverbs 12:10). Thats not at all unlike God, who says we are to cast all our cares and anxieties upon Him, since He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Every account in this collection is true. My prayer is that, as you share the laughter, tears, amazement, and occasional puzzlement of other people about their dogs, you will take to heart the deeper truths behind the stories. Biblical truth surrounds us. The Lord Jesus Christ uses a variety of His creatures to teach us about God and about ourselves. Dinosaurs, donkeys, ants, and dogs are just a smattering of animals He used to teach people of the pastand continues to use as He teaches us today.

So after youve cleaned up the dogs mess one more time or dragged in that twenty-five-pound bag of doggy munchies or combed the obstinate burrs out of the puppys fur for the third time this week, settle in with your favorite four-legged friend. Catch a dog tale to start off or finish up your day. Some of the Creators best teachers are the dogs that walk alongside us.

Kathy Douglas

What my collie must do he does, and what he does he must do, and unwittingly he imitates the God he cant see and I follow.

C HUCK M ILLER

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

J OHN 17:12

I m expecting a call from my dog.

Tims fork stopped halfway to his mouth. His business associate was from California; he hailed from Ohio. He knew a lot of differences between the two statesand that California usually leads the way in innovation and noveltybut this was beyond anything he had ever dreamed.

A call from your dog? he asked.

Nan waved her hand in dismissal. Not from my dog, of course, she said, but about him.

Tim felt better already. His food reached its destination before he spoke again. Is he sick or something? Staying with a family member?

No. Hes lost.

Oh. Got someone looking for him?

Not exactly. I mean, not by conventional means.

Tim set his fork down. This conversation was doing nothing to improve his appetite. It was taking all his powers of concentration to figure out how one looked for ones dog without looking for ones dog. His colleague rushed on to explain.

Poncho has a collar thats registered with a company that uses GPS to track missing dogs.

Tim scratched his head. The Global Positioning System is used to locate your dog?

Nan wiped her mouth daintily with her napkin. Sure. Everyone does it. Our area of California is so mountainous and wooded that it would be impossible to find Poncho by conventional means. So this chip emits a signal that can be picked up by a satellite and voil! The errant dog can be located.

Nans cell phone rang. She answered it and gave a thumbs-up to Tim.

The GPS did it! Ponchos been found!

God never loses sight nor track of people. None are lost to Him unless they willfully choose to walk away. Even Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord Jesus, was given opportunity to repent. When he brought the soldiers to arrest Jesus, the Lords first word to him was Friend (Matthew 26:50). Judas was lost to Gods forgiving love because he chose to be. But, like every other man and woman who has ever lived or will ever live, Judas has never been lost from Gods sight or consciousness. God has a heart for the lost. He seeks them.