More Lessons from a
Sheltie
Some of you who have
read former devotionals of mine might remember my
beautiful Shetland Sheepdog, Elsa. I've already
recorded a number of lessons that she has taught me, and
some of you may be saddened to hear that she is no longer
with us. She developed a fast-growing cancer, and in
a matter of 3-4 weeks, she went from being a vibrant,
healthy dog to not being able to stand. In the
aftermath, as I reflect on my beautiful dog, it occurs to
me that perhaps she had yet another lesson to teach . . .
"Let us fix our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb
12:2-3)
If you have ever
owned a Sheltie, you will relate to what I am saying, for
what I am about to describe is a characteristic of the
breed. Elsa followed me literally everywhere
I went! In the kitchen, she followed me from
the sink to the fridge, to the stove, and back to the
sink. She followed me into the bathroom, she
patiently waited for me outside the shower (I guess she
did have her limits!), she even followed me into
the closet when I got dressed. Because I am an
active person who is also becoming a bit forgetful, and
because we live in a 5-level house, Elsa's personal goal
to follow me everywhere certainly got her plenty of
exercise! But she never got discouraged. She
just "doggedly" followed me up and down the same set of
stairs -- five times, if necessary!
Elsa's greatest joy
was being near me, and it was a real bonus if she could
get me to talk to her. When I sat down, she would
come and put her muzzle on my leg. If I didn't pet
her, that was okay. She just wanted to be as near to
me as she can be. And if her greatest joy was being
near me and hearing my voice, her worst nightmare was to
be separated from me! She didn't mind so much when I
wasn't home, but if I was home and she wasn't with me, it
was a real punishment! In fact, I learned that this
was the ultimate way to discipline her! When she was
naughty (which was seldom!), I scolded her and either
locked her out in the garage or down in the basement for a
few minutes. Then, when I let her out, she would
become the most remorseful dog you will ever hope to meet.
AND she generally didn't try THAT particular trick
again!
Now, being as active
as I am, I didn't necessarily like having a dog
constantly under foot. I can't count the
times I accidentally stepped on her tail or her paw
because I didn't know she was there. Nor can I count
the times I nearly tripped over her. And sometimes,
you just don't feel like being "watched" all the time,
even if the "watcher" is only a dog! I
often told her to go follow someone else. She won't,
though. She was far to loyal for that! I was
her mistress, she would have no other.
You can probably
guess just what lesson can be learned from this loyal dog!
You see, the Bible tells me to be just like my dog!
Only, the One I am to fix my eyes is Jesus, the author and
the finisher of my faith! "Let us fix our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the
joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
(Heb. 12:2,3)
If only we could
all be more like Elsa in our relationships with God!
Just as she was always watching me, following me around,
doing everything in her power to get me to pet her and
talk to her, I need to be always watching God! I
need to follow Him around, doing everything in my power to
please Him! I need the loyal nature Elsa displayed.
I need her unconditional love, her loyalty, her patience.
I need to keep my eyes fixed on--and only on--Jesus!
Love in Christ,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart,
Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets (
www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/ ), Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org ,