It is a gorgeous, sunny day...windows open...would be nice if the beagles weren't so talkative today...but I guess they are happy it's a sunny day too. Many people love to hear the yelp of a beagle. I admit it is a nice sound sometimes...when they are hunting...but not so much when 9 of them are talking to one another.
These dogs are well cared for, even though they really serve no purpose. They are not companions, as they are all outdoor dogs. They are not guard dogs, they are not hunters. But, Fred loves them, He feeds them, waters them, and cares for them everyday. He makes sure their immunizations are up to date, gives them the preventative treatments recommended by veternarians for things like heartworms and calls each of them by name. (although a few of them have the same nick name) He doesn’t care that they aren’t of champion lines, or that some of them aren’t even very smart. He loves them unconditionally – and they love him.
As I watched him load the weekly supply of 50 pound bags of dog feed from his pick-up, I thought of all the work he puts into these dogs. It made me think of the way God loves us. Unconditionally…and all we have to do in return is love Him. He doesn’t ask us to be anything that we are not. He cares for us and protects us every day, as long as we stay in His will.
Fred has lost a couple of dogs because they dug out of their pen or broke their chain. It breaks his heart for one of his dogs to run into danger and be hurt. Each time he has to say goodbye to a dog that has run blindly onto the highway, not understanding the danger when they leave their pen, he hurts deeply.
Oh how it must hurt the Lord when we run away from His presence, just to chase something that caught our eye…a rabbit or a butterfly is all it takes to lead a dog from safety, sometimes it is less than that for us.
The beagles are quiet now, they will shout with excitement in a few hours when Fred heads to their kennels and pens with buckets of dog food and water.
How often do we express our excitement when our Master comes to feed us? The Bible says if we don't praise Him the rocks will cry out. I wonder if rocks sound like beagles? I don't think I want to find out.
