A man's BEST friend[s]

It's been said that a dog is a man's best friend. Having been a dog-lover all of my life, and a dog-owner for nearly 30 years, I think if I would be honest I must admit there probably is some truth to that statement. Indeed, it was undeniably confirmed for me by one of my dogs in particular - a black lab we named "Shadow." Now, we didn't necessarily give him that name because he was black, but, rather, because of the way we got him. You see, he was a stray that I found back in the mid-90s when we lived in the California desert. Actually, he found me. He was sitting next to my truck one day when I left the church office to go home for lunch. I didn't see any collar or tags on him, and because he seemed friendly enough, I opened both doors to the truck and asked him if he wanted to go home with me. He didn't budge. So, I got into the cab, shut the doors, threw the truck into gear and headed out of the parking lot onto the main road (Bubbling Wells Road, in Desert Hot Springs, CA). When I glanced into my rear view mirror I couldn't believe what I saw. The crazy dog was following me home, running behind me in the middle of the road, keeping pace with the truck. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, stopped, and once again invited him into the cab with me. He still didn't budge, but he began wagging his tail when I opened the rear tailgate, picked him up and placed him in the back end of the vehicle. The boys were so excited when I pulled into our driveway blasting the horn. They came running outside yelling, "Daddy's got a dog! Daddy's got a dog!" Win followed them out the door, and just stood there giving me a look that said, "What in the world have you done?" Well, to make a long story short, we "adopted" Shadow, and for the next eight years he was not only MY dog, but he was also one of my best friends. He was mischievous, stubborn, self-willed - and absolutely loyal.

Perhaps that is one reason why someone else once said, "The better I get to know people, the more I love my dog." The tragic truth is that many people just don't get the concept of loyalty. Shadow did. For example, it never bothered him if I came home "late" from work - even if I failed to call ahead and warn the rest of the family. He was always at the door waiting for me, and letting me know how happy he was that I was finally home. And if I ever "barked" the commands, "Shadow, sit!" or "Shadow, down!" or "Shadow, go to your room!" he never seemed to hold it against me. But he would wag his tail and lick my face when I finally released him from his confinement. (He was like a Marine . . . Semper Fi!).

(Come to think of it, as an aside . . . I believe my younger son T.J. may have learned loyalty from Shadow, because I have yet to meet a young man more faithful and loyal than him. His heart often goes out to the "underdog" - and he will stick by and defend that person to the end).

Well, I must admit, the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . GOD! The prophet Jeremiah declared "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed . . ." And then he went on to add, "Great is thy faithfulness!" (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Psalmist exclaimed, "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever" (Psalm 89:1). In both instances the English word "mercies" is a translation of the Hebrew term "chesed", which is sometimes rendered "lovingkindess" in our English Bibles, but may be even more literally translated "loyal love." Yes, God is the epitome of loyalty. Indeed, the Apostle John writes in John 13:1 that Jesus, ". . . having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end." That is loyalty. Later in that chapter, in the discourse that followed, the Lord said to His disciples, "Greater love has no one to this, than to lay down one's life for his friends . . . No longer do I call you servants . . . but I have called you friends" (John 15:13, 15). His words remind me of an old gospel sing we used to sing,

Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you - Jesus NEVER fails!

Then there was this song written by John W. Peterson in the second half of the twentieth century,

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true . . .
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He . . .

It seems to me that when believers demonstrate loyalty, they best emulate the very nature and character of Christ. (And when they don't . . . well, let's just say they best emulate the
"adversary," who doesn't have a clue as to the true meaning of loyalty).

Thankfully, there are a few believers who understand what real friendship is all about. That is why I also need to say that the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . TRUE FRIENDS!

Mike Eberstein [a.k.a. Captain Mike], Bill Fikse [a.k.a. Sir William], Marvin Jepson, Steve Lewis, Jim Newman, Earl Radmacher [a.k.a. Dr. R], Marshall Swoverland - these are some of my true friends (along with my wife, of course - who is my very best friend). To be sure, a couple of them are already with the Lord (Marvin Jepson, Marshall Swoverland). Others I would consider my "mentors" (Bill Fikse, Earl Radmacher). None of these men are/were just "fair weather" friends. No, they have been loyal to me and have stood up for me and stood with me through the worst of times as well as the best of times. I love THEM, too, and would do anything and everything I can to demonstrate my loyalty to them.

Moses had Aaron (his brother) and Caleb's young son, Hur (Exodus 17:12) who stood by and supported Moses at a time when he was physically spent and needed help. They didn't say, "Too bad, old man. Maybe you should retire. We need a leader who is stronger. Sorry, but we just can't support you anymore. We're outta here!" No, they stood by Moses' side, held up his arms, and encouraged him in his ministry.

David had Jonathan, who came to him when David's life was threatened by Jonathan's father, King Saul, and "strengthened his hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16). As the saying goes, "a friend in the time of need is a friend indeed!" I know that I am and will be eternally grateful for my loyal friends.

Finally . . . okay, I need to admit it . . . the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . DOGS!

I'm pretty well convinced the Lord brought Shadow to our family so that he would be there for me during one of the darkest times of my life. When some of the people that I loved and trusted the most conspired against me and then betrayed me, and when the accompanying "stress" nearly killed me (see the August 5th blog, "A near death experience"), it was almost as though that dog understood what I was going through and knew what I needed. He was always there for me, at my side from the time I came home, until I went to bed . . . (Actually, he usually was still at my side through the night as well). I started referring to him as my "Old Faithful." Yes, he was loyal! However, he was also old. (We were never really sure exactly how old he was because he was a stray). As I began to heal from my massive heart attack and regain some of my strength, he seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. He began "crying" through the night. We finally took him to the vet, and on Friday, September 24, 2004, we had to give the vet our permission to put him down. He was suffering from and was in the final stages of bone cancer. I am not ashamed to say that I held his head in my lap and cried as he went off to sleep, never again to wake.

The Anglo-Scottish poet Lord Byron (1818-1885) had a fondness for animals, and especially loved a Newfoundland dog named "Boatswain." Upon the dog's death from rabies, Lord Byron wrote an inscription which has become one of his best-known works. He titled it, "Epitaph to a Dog." He wrote,

Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG . . .

He also described his dog as "the poor dog, in life the firmest friend, the first to welcome, foremost to defend."

That was my Shadow. He was a "friend" who remained loyal to me to the end. For me, his life serves as an excellent illustration of loyalty.

I know I have some other "people" friends (such as those mentioned before) who have and will remain loyal to me as well. For me, their lives also serve as excellent demonstrations of loyalty.

And then there is Jesus, the ultimate illustration and demonstration of loyalty - indeed, the very incarnation of loyalty. In fact, the thought has occurred to me that one can find no better model of loyalty than the Godhead. Every member of the Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit - is absolutely and eternally loyal to the others. Therefore, it seems to me that when we believers identify with a local church fellowship, and then begin to interact with each other in ministries of leadership, worship, discipleship and stewardship in that local church, we best reflect the very nature and character of God when we demonstrate an unflagging loyalty to one another. But when we don't, we do the devil's work, at the same time dividing, devouring and destroying our brothers and sisters in Christ. May God have mercy on us . . .

Almost exactly five months ago I had an opportunity to travel to southern CA for a one-day conference. I took a few vacation days as well, and when the conference was over I drove my rental car to the Coachella Valley, where we lived for eight years. I parked it on the shoulder of a quiet road not too far from where we owned our home, and then began a short climb into the foothills ahead of me, carefully avoiding the cholla and beaver tail cacti that dotted the landscape. Eventually I came to a large, flat boulder where I used to take Shadow on our evening walks. I remembered how I would sit on that huge slab with Shadow at my side, and together we would look at the lights of Palm Springs ahead of us, and then the thousands of stars in the desert sky above us. I would often talk to Shadow, and he would sit silently, looking as though he was intently listening . . . I refer to that place as Shadow's Rock. That night I missed my friend. I thanked my God for Shadow, for my people friends, and for Jesus . . . and I prayed that when I eventually have to give account of my life to Him, that He will find me loyal - to my wife, my sons, my friends, my Lord - and to His Church and His work.

Semper Fi.