At the Master's Side

Stephen Poxon

Description

"Within what I hope will become this dog-eared work" says Stephen Poxon, "365 shaggy dog stories are homed with verses of Scripture to encourage, inform and possibly even amuse. Use them as a dog might treat a puddle - to gaze upon with curiosity, to dip into, or to have a jolly good splash around. It might be that a line from a reflection will lead you towards a deeper concept. It might be that a thought provides a timely contemplation for the day, relevant to your circumstances and concerns. A year's worth of delightful reflections on dogs known and loved, each leading into a consideration of some aspect of God's character. "It is my prayer, as a dog devotee who tries to follow God, that these readings bring reminders of His love. As the seasons change and experiences vary between good, bad, and indifferent, may our relationship with a loving Heavenly Father remain a rewarding constant."

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857217462
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

AT THE MASTER’S SIDE

Text copyright © 2017 Stephen Poxon This edition copyright © 2017 Lion Hudson
The right of Stephen Poxon to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Monarch Books
an imprint of
Lion Hudson IP Ltd
Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road,
Oxford OX2 8DR, England
Email: [e-mail]
www.lionhudson.com/monarch
ISBN 978 0 85721 745 5 (hardback)
ISBN 978 0 85721 907 7 (paperback)
e-ISBN 978 0 85721 746 2
First edition 2017
Acknowledgments
Every effort has been made to trace and contact copyright holders for material used in this book. We apologize for any inadvertent omissions or errors.
Cover image: adapted from Chalabala/ iStockphoto
Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. "NIV" is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Extracts from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New English Bible © Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All right reserved.
Scriptures quotations are from the Good News Bible © 1994 published by the Bible Societies/Harper Collins Publishers Ltd UK, Good News Bible© American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used with permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, http://bible.org All rights reserved.
p 158: Lyrics from "What Can I say to Cheer a World Full of Sorrow?" by Miriam M. Richards taken from The Song Book of The Salvation Army © 2015, The General of the Salvation Army. Reprinted by permission.
p 167–69: Extracts taken from Doctor Sangster by Paul E Sangster originally published by Epworth Press, 1962.
p 256: Lyrics from "By the Love that Never Ceased to Hold Me" by Will J. Brand taken from The Song Book of The Salvation Army © 2015, The General of the Salvation Army. Used by permission.
p 337: Lyrics from "Take Thou My Life, Lord" by Colonel Brindley Boon taken from The Song Book of The Salvation Army © 2015, The General of the Salvation Army. Used by permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
To human beings everywhere who love dogs, appreciate their company,
and realize their worth.
"I care not for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."
Abraham Lincoln
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
One of the loveliest stories I ever read – and I believe it to be true – concerned an English country lady whose husband had died and who was being interviewed for an obituary-type reflection in a magazine (her husband was a man of some status, and a landowner).
Addressing various aspects of her bereavement, the lady then said, "Well, I never did care for the smell of wet dogs." Her husband had owned several dogs – mainly gun dogs – and was in the habit of allowing them to traipse through their house still wet from the fields or from time outside in the rain. Quite charmingly, the lady’s love for her husband had always precluded her mentioning her dislike of that unique odour given off by wet dogs.
I mention that anecdote because it alludes well to some of the aspects of my own personal dog-owning. I am not a man of status or a landowner, but I am as guilty as the husband in the story of inflicting wet dogs, smelly dogs, perpetually hungry dogs, disobedient dogs and other recruits upon my wife and loved ones, with all the experiences that accompany my habit of adopting canines.
Suffice to say, I am truly and permanently indebted to my human life partners for their marvellously kind and endlessly patient approach towards my chaotic adventures with four-legged friends. Thank you, Heather, Jasmine and Alistair, for understanding my need of a dog around the house and for putting up with muddy floors, hairy furniture, cans of dog food in the fridge, and vet’s bills. I am most grateful to you, too, for helping out with walks, especially when I can’t be at home and it’s raining or cold. Likewise, I am grateful to have had grandparents and parents whose hearts were soft and warm towards strays and mutts of all shapes, sizes, and abilities.
Our latest acquisition is Whisky, who features in these pages and who came to live with us when her owner died unexpectedly and the funeral director emailed me with news of her plight. In the words of my mum, "They must have seen you coming!" She (Whisky, not my mum) has settled in superbly, and keeps me company when I am working. Blind, deaf, and ancient she may be, but she is ours to shelter, feed, and enjoy. (She is of Irish stock, so perhaps we should be spelling her name as Whiskey with an "e", but as a teetotal Salvationist, I claim no expertise in such matters.)
What a happy and funny day it must have been, in the Courts of Heaven, when God gathered the angels around to show them his original blueprint for his invention of dogs! I suspect he never once regretted that decision.
My indebtedness also extends towards the equally patient team at Lion Hudson/Monarch.
Granted, I only ever trouble them with ideas, emails, and manuscripts in need of improvement, as opposed to dogs, but their kindness towards my endeavours in consistently impressive.
I am only too aware of the fact that my efforts are greatly enhanced because of their professional expertise.
INTRODUCTION
Which breed of dog is (or was) yours? A pedigree, perhaps? A mongrel, maybe? A rescued ratter, or a retired racer?
If you are perusing these pages, chances are, you are a dog lover. From the Queen of England with her collection of Corgis and Dorgis (a Dachshund/Corgi cross) to the homeless person with a faithful mongrel nestled in a blanket on the High Street, doggie fans have one thing in common; a shared concern for "man’s best friend".
What, though, might dogs and God have in common? Can dogs teach us anything about God, or am I barking up the wrong tree? Within these pages, 365 dog stories are homed with Scripture verses to encourage, inform, and possibly even amuse. Use them as a dog might treat a puddle – to gaze upon with curiosity, to dip into, or to have a splash around. It might be that a line from a reflection will lead you towards a deeper concept. Maybe a thought will provide a timely, relevant contemplation for your day. I pray these readings will introduce reminders of his love into the lives of any who read them. As the year unfolds and the seasons change, and our experiences vary between good, bad, and indifferent, may our relationship with a loving Heavenly Father who delights in a multitude of mercies remain a rewarding constant.
JANUARY 1
NEW YEAR – OLD LOVE
God is love
(1 JOHN 4:8 NIV )
Border Collies, beloved of shepherds and farmers, thrive when completely but kindly dominated by their owners. Linguists disagree on the origin of the name "Collie", some suggesting it comes from "collied" as in coal/coaled/black (Shakespeare described an event in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as "Brief as the lightning in the collied night" – Act 1, Scene 1), with others pointing towards ancient Gaelic where "collie" is a derivative of the Irish for "useful". Whichever is correct, Borders live up to their Gaelic billing, responding as intelligently to instructions as Shakespearean thespians to their cues. Alsatians, though, can be more aloof, tending not to welcome strangers until formalities have been completed (try befriending one before it has deigned to like you and you’ll discover that overfamiliarity may result in blood at first bite); neither are members of this dignified strain inclined to become immediate friends with visitors; secure in effortless superiority. Our dog, Meg (now departed), was hybrid – not as in half-electric and beneficial to the planet (her excessive production of methane marked her out as distinctly eco-unfriendly), but a Collie/Alsatian cross; appreciative of rules but still her own girl. More about Meg later, but, suffice to say, that old lady’s personality was, like each of ours, unique.
The year ahead is as unspotted as a Dalmatian pup. God’s grace, though, is ever old, yet ever new. There was never an hour when he failed to love; there wasn’t last year, there won’t be this year. Whatever John the Evangelist may or may not have known about dogs, he knew that God is love. God loves, generally, and God loves us, specifically, whatever our character traits; those that are pleasing, baffling, frustrating, or even frightening. He may not like everything we do, but he loves us too much to leave us as we are, and even our idiosyncrasies fall within his unrelenting plan to make us Christ-like (R