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A couple of weeks ago I was puttering around the house on a Friday morning when our Cairn Terrier, Duncan, came in to tell me something. Really. He did one of those “What is it Lassie, is Timmy in the well again?” moments. He kept whining and bumping my ankles with his nose and trotting toward the door while looking over his shoulder to see if I was coming. Then he’d run back to me and start the whole process again.
Highly intuitive dog communicator that I am, I followed him out of the bedroom, down the hall, around the kitchen, through the sun room and finally to the back door. Duncan led the entire way, running ahead a few feet, then stopping to look back and whine impatiently in his effort to hurry me along. Finally, he shot through the doggy door and across the patio to the gate that opens from the backyard onto the driveway. Duncan’s nose hit the chain link and he exploded into a bouncing, barking ball of glee. After what must have seemed to him like an eternity in doggy seconds, I finally caught up and determined the source of his enthusiasm.
“Look Duncan! It’s a turtle!”
Sure enough, plodding toward us as briskly as I imagine a turtle can plod, was an amazingly alert and fearless shelled reptile.
“Let’s tell Laird!”
So, we hurried back into the house where I told my husband, “Duncan has something to show you!” and now our happy pet led both of us out to meet his new friend.
We stood at the back gate for some time, discussing “Turtle this…” and “Turtle that…” all the while watching the two animals who had been touching noses through the fencing ever since Mr. Turtle finally arrived at the top of the drive. Laird determined that a neighbor’s yard provided the most turtle-friendly environment and gingerly carried the little guy across the street. Duncan continued to watch long after the turtle disappeared under a shady shrub, and our life settled back into our ordinary Friday routine.
However (here’s the impressive part), as we were waking up the next day, Laird looked down at our dog and asked, “Duncan, where’s the turtle?” Our brilliant boy immediately jumped to sentinel mode, and ran barking out the back door to look hopefully down the driveway for the previous day’s visitor. I swelled with motherly pride…Duncan had learned the word “turtle!”
Now, I’ve thought a lot since our turtle adventure, mostly about what Duncan can teach us in the church. Oh, that we all should be so joyous to see the lost headed in the right direction! Not only does our family pet model the delighted way we should run to meet the stranger, but his joy was not complete until he had drawn the entire family (Beth was gone that morning) into his welcoming task. What’s more, the next day, Duncan still remembered the visitor’s name!
Imagine how Christ’s church would grow if we all would take it upon ourselves to keep our eyes open for those who are seeking God, enthusiastically run to welcome them to our church home, and just as enthusiastically draw together the rest of the family to share in the excitement of receiving and caring for those newcomers in our midst. Of course, not all will come to us as readily as the turtle came up our driveway, so that means that we must be willing to open the gate and venture out into the neighborhood looking for those who seek God.
God has given us the most wonderful and rewarding mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a cue from Duncan and bounce into our task with joy, delight and enthusiasm!
E-Mail: tinamariecross@gmail.com