June 22, 2024
Happy May Everyone,
May 14, 2024 Enjoy it quickly because it is almost half over and then June is here and we will be halfway through 2024...how can that be? Seems like the merry-go-round just keeps spinning faster and faster...I keep talking to Mamma and telling her that we need to live more intentionally. This actually should have been our MO. our whole lives...but it is super important these days. It is soooooo weird how much nonsense and drama and distraction and utter stupidity is in our daily lives...woah...who has the time or energy for all of that??
We have started hiking the West Fork Trail again and have truly been enjoying the "Forest Therapy." We are only taking our little girl dog, Gigi, with us. The boys both seem to have a little hitch in their giddy up. I think it is from jumping on and off Mamma's bed to have a better look out the window so they can bark louder. Nevertheless, it leaves them a little gimpy and I don't want to carry them even one foot on the trail...so they have to stay home. Gigi loves to hike! She hates the car ride...she gets super anxious and hassles the whole time...but you almost can't get out the door without her once she sees the hiking shoes come out!!!!
We were getting back to hiking three times a week (just the 2.5 mile hike) but Mamma noticed some discomfort every time. You see Mamma has had a heart murmur her whole life. Three years ago she decided to start seeing a cardiologist so they could monitor it. God sent us someone very special to take care of her-his name is Dr. Stephen Wall. We are so very thankful for the manner and care he gives Mamma. Anyway, we made an appointment and drove up to Springfield (about 3 hours away), for a stress-echocardiogram on the 6th. Of course she walked on the speeding up/inclining treadmill for 6 minutes without too much trouble!!! That's my USS Battleship Mom!! They did discover that the things that are wrong with her heart have gone from mild to moderate. She has doubled up on one of her medicines which seems to be helping and we are scheduled for an angiogram (they tap into the artery in your wrist and shoot dye into your heart so they can see what's going on) on June 12th to make sure that there aren't any blockages. If there are any blockages, she will get a stent right there during the procedure, if not hopefully that will answer any questions Dr. Wall may have. He truly believes that he will be able to help Mamma with medicine for now and that she doesn't need a valve replacement. We ask that you keep Mamma and Dr. Wall in prayer that God will guide and direct him in the care for her.
We haven't been hiking for a couple of weeks now...but we will get back to it!! Sometimes life's busyness gets in the way, sometimes important chores, or planned meetings, or sometimes we just don't have the energy for it...but always in our hearts we think of the fresh air, the trees that cover the trail and provide shade, we think of the peaceful time to reflect on things while we walk along the carved out trail. It is so much easier when you know where you are going...if only we would slow down and approach the path of life in the same inanner... And we are both realizing that we are aging more and more. Mamma will be 82 in September and notices little things that are natural to aging...and I see that at 54 I won't be a superwoman forever. We are trying to cut things out of our lives that are non- essential and totally not important. We are trying to make things really count...and sitting here spending time with you is one of those things that really does count. Thanks for spending some time with us...it always warms our hearts!! ☺
Someone asked how far we are from the ocean?? We are almost 70 miles away. It takes about an hour and a half because of going through the "canyon." A super curvy road that has a lot of 25-35 mph curves. It is amazing to see semi-trucks or big land yachts (RV's) go through there. Sometimes I almost hold my breath because there isn't a lot of room to negotiate on some of the curves. Also...there are a lot of turn offs because of the poopy person who rides up your six (too close to your bumper) when all you want to do is enjoy the nice drive. I will tell you that the "nice drive” isn't what it used to be. There was an 86,000 acre fire down there last year that took out a lot of trees and a lot of beauty. -The spots that burned along the road have been logged to get the hazard trees down right away. The whole scene has changed...but life goes on and there always seems to be beauty in ashes...new beginnings.
Mamma and I are so very thankful for "New Beginnings." Some people do not like change...but you can't have new beginnings without change. We can't go from the place that we are unhappy in to the next place without change. We can't get rid of old habits or even bad habits without change. (I'm working on consuming less treats (cookies, candy bars, Sharrell's Lemon Tea Cake)...it requires change...but I truly want a "New Beginning" so I'm putting some skin in the game and giving it some grit!!) I don't honestly eat that much sugar, I don't have a weight issue either, but I want to get back to a cleaner consumption of food. Trust me...if the Lemon Tea Cake comes around...I will continue to consume it...it's the best!!! We can't reinvent ourselves without change and new beginnings.
If we want new beginnings in the spiritual world, we have to surrender our heart and will to Jesus and join Him in death, to join Him in life. 2nd Corinthians 5:17-18 in the Passion Translation says, “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to Himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God." I'm telling you "New Beginnings" and change rock!! Who doesn't want to trade in all the old things that hurt us, that hurt others, and become an entirely new person?? We can't do it on our own...but we can become clay on God's potter's wheel and let Him mold us.
Isaiah 64:8 says, "But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand." This verse reveals that God is the Potter and we are His clay. It is a metaphor that describes how God shapes and molds us according to His will. Just as a potter shapes clay into a vessel, God shapes us into the people He wants us to be. Some people think that they couldn't handle surrendering to a God that wants to change everything about them...but how's life really going for you anyway? God doesn't want to strip us of who we are personality-wise. He isn't looking to make another robot that goes around saying, "Praise God." He wants to shape and mold our hearts and have a relationship with us and love us so much that we want to go around saying, "Thank You for saving my life God, I give You all my thanks and all my praise, and worship only You."
New Beginnings and changes aren't always easy. We continue to change and adapt at how we can continue Life Lines for as long as possible. October will be 30 years...wow! We continually fight the red tape of states and institutions as the policies change (we are going into our 3rd year of trying to send mail to 6 ladies in Alabama that we have been writing for 20 years because of change...what a sucky battle...but change isn't always easy), as some of you get moved, some go out to court, and some get released.
Speaking of new beginnings and some getting released...we want to give a quick shout out to Scott & Michelle in Illinois. He has been recently released and just sent us his first card with a picture of his wife and him. We are so thankful to reconnect with him...we have been writing back and forth for 24 years next month!
Know that once we connect in the heart, it is forever. God has built this family to stand the test of time. We are sure hoping that there is a Life Lines Hall in Heaven so that we can all gather together in person once and for all and have a real God hug!! Until then, know that we send our love and hugs through the mail...that makes them timeless. You can read our letters any time you need to be reminded that you have family on the outside that supports you, prays for you, and looks forward to the day when we will all be together!
Thank you to all who have sent in birthday cards, Mother's Day cards, warm wishes and greetings, and most of all...thank you to all who pray for us! We covet your prayers as we navigate through * changes and "New Beginnings"!!!!
I'm house/dog sitting for some friends while we are preparing this letter...so this time we have to say love,
Melanie Gayle, Joy, Bailey and Boomer, Gigi, and Lilly
She's a nice addition to our little pack of pups!! Take care and God be with you as you walk each and every day in the newness of Him!!
The Real Thing
Good Morning! I must admit that I am feeling a bit nostalgic. You see, I was remembering this newspaper clipping I have had since 1995. So, come on, let's go waaaay back and talk about it. But first, I want to say hello to some special friends who actually got that letter I mailed out October 20, 1995. So hello Alberto C., Gene G., Vincent A., Thomas K., and Dan L.
Yep, God brought us together back then...and we are still connected at the heart!!
I wanted to talk about that photo today. I think it was absurd back then-and it is still absurd today! Figures of stone, or metal, plastic or whatever do not drink from a spoon! There is no life there. It's just a thing.
I recently read that "In one of the temples in Japan, the worshippers run around a table 100 times, and every time they have completed a round, they throw a piece of wood into a chest. Once the laborious task is done, the exhausted worshipper goes home, under the impression that he has satisfied his god."
You know whatever our heart clings to is our "god," and when we cling to anything or anyone other than Almighty God who created us, we are guilty of idolatry-God alone must be first in our heart and life.
Here's the newspaper clipping and photo. In my article that was sent out with the photo I said: "How far has the world come to say that we evolved from monkeys or some slimy little thing in a pond! What about those who worship "Mother Earth," and "Mother Nature"? Then there are those who believe in
reincarnation and karma. How far has the world come, that people work very hard to find an explanation for life, rather than to say simply that Almighty God created the humans and the Earth." In closing, I said, "Wouldn't it be simpler to quit running away and simply say, 'I believe You are there, and I believe You are who You say that You are...Almighty God?"
DAILY COURIER, Grants Pasa, Oregon SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 199
Well, it's been almost 29 years since I sent out that photo and article. A lot has happened in those years and I have written about many things that happened in my life. Some of you are new to Life Lines and have not had the opportunity to read about my own story or the miracles that I have had in my own life. Let me just say that I was one messed up chick. I had trouble just trying to grow up. I was angry and carried a gun in my purse for years and I would have used it! The sad thing is that I hurt a lot of people. Then in November 1965-right there in my own kitchen--all by myself, I was sick of my life and I held up my hand and said, "Here I am Lord, take me, take my life." And that very moment God touched me and I felt a wonderful, warm, glowing feeling go down my hand, arm-my body, to my toes. For a few seconds I felt that I "glowed."
The touch as but a moment, but the memory will never die. God reached down that day and saved me. I knew I really knew that I had found Almighty God. You see-we can't save ourselves--but when I cried out to Him, Jesus reached down and grabbed hold of me-He set me free! And He changed my heart and my life. At that very moment I became His Child. All I can say is "Wow!!"
Now, I would like to share some truths I have found-I like to call them "Nuggets."
"You can't 'pick and choose' what you want in trying to find God for yourself. Jesus is the answer to the burdens of our heart and the hopelessness of our world."
"Some people accept that there is a 'Supreme Being' somewhere out there, but they say they can't believe anything more than that. Jesus is not in this category. He is not a 'something.' He is God-the Son, who stepped down from Heaven to save us, because we can't save ourselves.”
"Why is salvation great? Because we have a great need, which burdened the heart of a great God, who paid a great price by sending a great Savior (His Son, Jesus).”
"When we submit ourselves to God and come to depend on Him as our source, He gives us a new heart that loves Him. When we surrender our life and submit our will to God, He can take all the broken pieces of our life, and make something beautiful out of them...we are 'born-again' and set free, we have a new heart!"
A new heart-that's what God gave me that day-because I said yes and opened the door, God's Holy Spirit came in that day and little by little I began to change. My anger and hot temper dwindled down, and love (God's love) began to fill my heart and push the darkness out. He was delivering me from me!! You know the "I-Me-My-Mine" had to die out-the I, the Me, the My, and the Mine. Then more of God's love can take over in your heart. Here are a few more "Nuggets."
"Our relationship with the Lord transcends all our circumstances. This is why we can praise Him and enjoy His presence (in our heart) in the midst of the darkest circumstances. He is always near...right here in our heart.”
“God takes the weak and makes them strong. He takes the vile and makes them clean. He takes the worthless and makes them worthwhile. He takes the sinful and makes them sinless." (Billy Graham)
"Despite what we may perceive about God, He desires the best for our lives, and wants us to receive the freedom He has so readily made available to those who are willing to accept it." (Charles Stanley)
Well I have shared what is on my heart today, but I want to share about my Dad. As I remember growing up, my Dad was turned-off by church, and wouldn't even set foot in one- even though his dad was the song leader at church when he was growing up! Somehow he was just turned-off by church and church people. But...my Dad was 87 years old and 4 days before he died, he turned to Jesus. At times, if we tried to talk to Dad about the Lord, he just couldn't open up and trust God. He would say, “I need something I can hold on to." Well Dad finally experienced it. If you reach out your hand to God, even in the darkness of your life, you will feel the hand of God reaching back on the other side.
"The Gospel (the Bible) is not speculation, but fact. It is truth, because it is the record of a person (Jesus) who is the truth."
"The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, Christianity is a false religion. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth." (Scientist Henry Morris)
"There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived or that Alexander the Great died at the age of 33."
• "Becoming a born-again child of God is not some 'spiritual fluff—it is a real relationship with our Creator and Lord."
Well, thanks for hearing my words. In closing I want to share Billy Graham's words: "Don't leave Jesus in a manger, or on the Cross, or in the tomb. He is alive, and even now He wants to walk beside you every day.""
God's invitation is clear and non-negotiable. He gave His all-Jesus gave His life to free us from sin, and we must give Him our all...our heart and life.
Whatever you are looking for to fill that gaping hole in your life...why not grab His hand and never let go---He truly is the Real Thing!
Joy May 2024
Lesson 6: Love and Discipline
An Excerpt from "Lessons from a Sheep Dog" by Phillip Keller
It will be obvious by now that the mutual affection established between Lass and myself was very precious to both of us. It seemed to me at times that our intimate relationship was much more than merely a man and a dog, more than a shepherd and his sheep dog, more even than efficient coworkers. We had become special friends!
With her keen perception, sensitive instincts, and acute intelligence, Lass had a capacity not only to understand my commands but even to anticipate my wishes. It was this unusual awareness that made her such a remarkable worker. Because of this harmonious cooperation between us, the livestock operation prospered and flourished. The sheep were handled efficiently and with a minimum of disturbance. My own work was made much easier and more joyous. Lass herself was a totally fulfilled companion who reveled in all her responsibilities.
I sometimes thought of our overall relationship as a triad of triumph between master, friend, and flock- --all of it possible because of the loving co-operation of a Border Collie. Reflecting on this happy association we enjoyed at Fairwinds, I have often thought this is precisely the relationship Christ desires with us. More than anything He wants me to be His companion, His coworker, His friend in helping to tend His flock.
This is really the essence of that final discourse He shared with His eleven disciples before His death. It is recorded for us in great detail by John in his Gospel, chapters 14-17. Any person who wishes to grasp the true meaning of love for God should read and meditate over those superb insights.
Love for the Master is not some sentimental emotion that sweeps over the soul in moments of special piety. Love for Christ is a deliberate setting of the will to carry out His commands at any cost. It is the delight of accomplishing our Father's highest purposes, no matter how challenging.
The end result of such conduct is to bring sweet satisfaction to the Good Shepherd. Because of such single-minded service we sense His approval of our behavior. We know of a surety that we are loved and appreciated. And the ultimate end is that others benefit; others are blessed; others are cared for.
Jesus Himself put it this way: "This is My commandment. That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:12-14).
It should be pointed out emphatically that "to lay down one's life" for another means to put the interests and wishes of others ahead of one's own. It implies that to obey Christ and carry out His intentions is more desirable than "doing my own thing."
It is one thing to put this down with pen and paper. But it is the toughest lesson any of us can learn to live out in our daily duties. It simply is not natural for most of us to love God or love others in the dramatic discipline of a laid-down life. We are a selfish, self-serving people. We have the strange, worldly idea that to be of lowly service is to be used or abused. Yet God in Christ came among us in lowly service. He came to minister to us, to give Himself to us. And so, because He first loved us, we in turn are to be willing and ready to love Him and others (see John 3:16-17 and 1st John 3:16-17).
As the years went by at Fairwinds, I saw in ever-increasing clarity what Jesus meant when He spoke of His love for us and our love for Him. I began to understand the true implications and demands of a laid- down life. Continuously I was giving myself to Lass. I gave her my strength, my attention, my affection my loyalty, my friendship, my very life.
She in turn reciprocated this outpouring by giving back to me her vitality, her vigor, her enthusiasm, her cooperation, her love, her loyalty. Together all the benefits of this relationship were then poured out upon the flock. Our mutual energies and expertise were spent in caring for the sheep. It would be wonderful if this sheep dog story could end here on this noble note. But it cannot. For, to be true to the tale, there were some disappointing interludes.
There were times on which Lass did break faith. There were days when she did not stay steadfast. There were many distractions that came along which drew her away from her line of duty. Love so betrayed, demands discipline to be restored. There were grievous interludes for her, for me, and for the flock. To correct her and to mend this breach between us there had to be discipline. This was not easy or
pleasant, but it was absolutely essential. I loved Lass far too much to let her revert back to her Ôld, wretched lifestyle. I was too fond of her to allow her to waste her energies for naught. She was made for great things, intended for lofty service. So both of us would have to suffer to set her straight.
Discipline is never pleasant. The correction that comes with love causes pain both for the administrator and the recipient. Many of us prefer to push it all aside. We find it easier to simply brush bad behavior to one side, acting as if it did not matter. But true love demands discipline. If there is to be mutual trust, integrity, and loyalty again, then it must involve some suffering for us to learn this lesson. It was not easy to punish Lass. After all, she was my friend. It demanded self-discipline on my part to insist that she perform properly, up to her full potential.
To correct her conduct with stern words of a severe reprimand or even a sharp slap made her draw back with reproach. Her bright eyes would fill with foreboding. She would lay back her ears with remorse. She would crouch low, her tail drawn down between her legs, in a hang-dog posture.
For a few moments there was a distinct coolness between us. She knew full well she had failed, and she knew I was far from satisfied with her performance. I never allowed these interludes of discipline to last long. Correction came swiftly, it came surely, yet it was over in short order. Then I would call her to me quietly. I would speak to her softly in reassuring tones. "Lass, it's all over!" I would hold her close, rub her chest, run my hands over her head. "We're friends; all is well!"
Her eyes would begin to sparkle again as she looked up into my face. Sometimes she would reach out to lick my cheek with her tongue. Her body would quiver and she would begin to move her tail with pleasure.
The strict discipline had brought totai restoration of trust between us. We were fond and loyal friends again. Her highest good had been served. The best interests of all of us had been preserved. For me the entire area of God's discipline of my personal life was best learned from Lass.. Through such examples I came to understand implicitly what my Master's intentions are for me during those times when He corrects my conduct.
As the Spirit of God makes abundantly clear in Hebrews 12:6-11, "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth...(disciplines)...Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
For years there has been prominent in the church an unbalanced overemphasis upon the love of God. There has been a universal tendency to teach that Christ is so compassionate, so kind that He does not discipline us for wrongdoing. There is a false impression that any old thing can go on, that God will simply forgive and forget all about it. This simply is not so. There is a price to pay for our perverseness. There is a discipline we deserve for wrongdoing. There is the Master's demand that we be faithful in service, serious in our responsibilities to Him-and others. We distort the true character of Christ if we assert that He will merely wink at wrong. He is grieved when we deliberately disobey His commands and selfishly ignore His wishes.
When Peter betrayed His Master the night before His crucifixion, it took one searching look to shatter the man's soul. He went out into darkness to break down in tears and remorse. In burning shame he was reduced from a tough, cursing fellow to a soul-shattered penitent.
Yet this was the man so swiftly restored after, the Master's resurrection. He was the servant spoken to with such reassurance beside the lake, "Peter-do you love Me?-Then feed My sheep!" Three times over In a triad of tenderness the bonds of trust, love, and loyalty were reestablished between Jesus and His friend. Like Lass we shrink back from the discipline of God. We find it grievous. We would rather it was set aside. It cannot be. It is for our best. It is for His benefit. It is for the eventual blessings of others whose lives we touch.
And when it is all over, the bonds of affection between Christ and ourselves are even stronger than before. For instinctively, deep within our own spirits we know we deserve discipline. We know the Master would not be true to Himself or to us if He simply let our misconduct slide into sinister selfishness. He disciplines because He cares, because He loves, because He heals. With this reassurance comes renewed joy. There is total restoration. There is sheer delight in once again doing His bidding.
Lesson 7: Available for Anything
An Excerpt from "Lessons from a Sheep Dog" by Phillip Keller
Perhaps the most unforgettable lesson I learned from Lass can best be summed up in three words: Available for Anything. The realization that though she was only a dog, she exhibited this remarkable trait in all of our years together, was tremendously challenging. In this story I have tried to convey some of the love, loyalty and excitement we shared as master and friend. Yet of all these varied experiences it was ultimately Lass who taught me best what it really means to be utterly abandoned to the Master's purposes. She showed me in her loving devotion what it costs to be always available for anything that needed to be done in the interests of the ranch and the flock.
This principle is best understood by recounting two entirely different types of duty she was expected to carry out. The first had to do with gathering up or counting sheep. Because of the very character of sheep-their helplessness, susceptibility to disease, and vulnerability to predators-they must be ever under the owner's constant scrutiny. By far the surest way to make certain all is well is for the sheepman to take a count every day. In this way he knows at once if every sheep is free from harm. I can recall the sense of foreboding that would sweep over me whenever I went into the pasture and found that one or several of the ewes or lambs was missing. I can still sense the despair that flooded over me when I came out in the morning to discover that either a cougar or stray dogs had wrought havoc among the flock during the night. Dead sheep or torn lambs would lie strewn in the fields. And only an accurate count would determine the devastating losses..
On other occasions, when the flock were fat and flourishing on the fallen acorns, it was quite common for the choicest ewes to become "cast"--unable to get back on their feet. They would soon die unless I found them in time to turn them over. It was always an ominous sign when the dark-winged buzzards wheeled in the sky above our terrain. Immediately I knew they were watching for a hapless sheep that might soon provide them with a gory banquet at its carcass. I would call Lass. "Well, girl, we'll have to gather up the sheep today!" She would race to my side, eager to go anywhere, anytime.
Some of our land lay in beautiful open fields with occasional clumps of trees scattered over it like a lovely English park. Other parts were wild and rough, especially along the shoreline. Some of this was rocky, with great granite outcroppings. Amid the boulders there were patches of wild roses, thorny blackberry tangles, old stumps, and down timber. The sheep loved to work their way into these spots searching for stray patches of sweet grass or other dainty herbs they relished. It was no easy thing to find all the flock in such difficult cut-over country. But this was an important part of the work entrusted to Lass. I would send her to fetch out every struggling, stray ewe and lamb.
"Fetch them in, Lass!" I would command her. "Go out and bring them home!" Without hesitating an instant she would be gone, pushing through the undergrowth, running over the rough rocks. It was stimulating to watch her work with such enthusiasm. She flung herself into the task until every sheep was brought out. There was a cost to the dog in all of this. She would become very weary. Her face would be scratched and torn by the thickets. Her coat would be clogged with burs and debris. Sometimes the pads of her feet would be lacerated with the sharp stones. Yet she went gladly, with happy abandon. She knew I knew what I was doing. And all she desired was to be a dynamic part of the whole project. Not once did she hesitate to hurl herself into the toughest tangle to gather up the flock.
Her selfless abandonment to my wishes made an enormous impact upon me. In quiet moments of reverie I would ask myself the soul-searching questions: "Am I this available to my Master? Am I as willing to fling myself into His work? Am I so devoted to Him? Does the matter of suffering deter me from duty?" More often than not Lass put me to shame.
Reflecting upon all of this I began to see why it is that Christ calls us, as His coworkers, to go into tough places. Being His friend is no cozy guarantee that life will always be either easy or even agreeable. There are simply bound to be some tough assignments, some suffering if we are to fully comply with His commands.
I never sent Lass into hard places to hurt her. But I put her into challenging circumstances to save the sheep. And it was out of all these endeavors together that she gradually matured and developed into a magnificent worker. All of us as God's people seem to shrink back from suffering. We are so often reluctant to undertake even the smallest assignment for the Master. We are reluctant to share our strength, time, or talents to touch others in trouble. We draw back from the distasteful situation where we might have to suffer a bit in order that others might be saved.
I saw all of this vividly as I worked with Lass. Her shining spirit and eager abandonment to my wishes combined to form a highly polished mirror in which I clearly saw reflected all the flaws of my own character-the failings of my own conduct toward Christ. God's gracious Spirit used the hearty service of this beautiful collie to break some of my own tough resistance to His will for me. If she could be so instantly available for anything, surely I could do as well for God.
Many of us fail to realize what a noble honor it is to be called a friend of God. We are not often shown what a stirring challenge it is to be called to suffer with Him. We do not seem to see that amid all the varied vicissitudes of life He really does know what He is doing with us. He can grasp the whole scheme of things and see far beyond our finite view. He is utterly in command and control of every situation. Then let us trust Him fully. Let us follow Him fearlessly. Let us fling ourselves with glad abandon into His enterprises. This Lass did with me-even in the darkest night and most dangerous engagements, This was the second way in which she proved her loyalty.
As the years went by at Fairwinds our happy times together were interspersed with challenging events that demanded extra determination for us to survive. The most frequent were attacks from both cougars and stray dogs at night.. We lived close to wild country where there were forested hills and wilderness terrain. From time to time the cunning panthers would come out of the dense forest and raid the flock. To warn us of the predators' stealthy approach at night I put bells on the sheep. If the sheep were startled in the dark they would leap to their feet and flee for their lives. The wild tinkle of the bells awakened me from sleep. I would leap out of bed, grab my flashlight, take the well-worn .303 rifle that stood by the door, and dash out into the fields. As I left the house in the dark, Lass would instantly be at my side-no need to even call her. With experience she, too, had learned to listen for the alarmed jangle of the sheep bells ringing when the flock fled. Leaping joyously beside me she would bound up in the dark and lick my hand as if to say, "Cheer up, Boss. This is a great adventure!" So off we would go side by side to see what the danger was.
Yet in all of this there was real danger for both Lass and myself. Rustlers were not averse to shooting the rancher's dog. Nor were marauding dogs slow to attack another strange dog in the dark. Even the presence of a panther on the prowl was enough to make us doubly alert to any danger. But Lass seemed to revel in this excitement. Not once did I ever see her cringe from our night forays in fear. Never did she decide she would rather remain in the cozy comfort of her kennel.
Some nights she and I would actually spend the entire night keeping watch in the fields. I would rest quietly in the grass, the rifle over my knees. She would lie crouched on guard beside me. Her head often rested on my lap, but her eyes never closed; her ears were ever alert for the faintest strange sound. If anything aroused her a deep growl would rumble in her chest and I would be ready with the rifle. These were intimate interludes for both of us. We were in this together. It was the tough way to meet a tough challenge, but we simply had to be on guard. Because of it we were able to keep the sheep from danger and protect them from their predators.
The Lord used Lass to teach me still another truth about Himself in the dark and difficult episodes of life! He is always there! He is fully alert and aware of the dangers abroad! He spares Himself no pains to protect us from those who would imperil our lives! It is well to remind ourselves often of the utter faithfulness of God. We are top prone to believe that He really is not with us, that He does not know what dangers confront us, that He is out of touch with things!
Lass helped me to understand that it is often in the darkest hour, during pressing danger, that the Master is closest to us. He cares, and He cares profoundly. It is His presence which gives us peace. It is His nearness which gives us hope. It is His protection which gives us life. Amid this He enjoys our company. He loves to have us alongside. He, too, finds consolation in the eager, alert watchfulness of His friends. In the midst of our danger there is delight. We need not be alarmed or anxious.
He is here! All is well between us! Bless His wondrous name!