Sunday, October 28, 2012

I Would Wiggle Off the Alter


By Belle the Missionary Dog
Mommy – Cheryle M. Touchton - The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady


I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1 KJV

All this talk about living sacrifices makes me nervous. Mommy went to church on Sunday at Southside Baptist and ever since, she’s been talking about presenting her body as a living sacrifice. Apparently, Pastor Gary Webber said living sacrifices try to wiggle off the altar. All I’ve got to say about that is, “Of course they do!” I know those Bible stories about sacrificial lambs, ropes, knives, and fire. I am a Shetland Sheep Dog. If people will sacrifice sheep, what is to keep them from sacrificing a sheep dog?

Ever since Sunday, Mommy has been saying that she shouldn’t try to wiggle off the altar. She said it Sunday night when she wanted to get home sooner and knew God was leading her to take her time and minister along the way. She said it when she wanted to eat at a restaurant and knew she had perfectly good, healthy, and low calorie food in the camper. She said it again when she wanted to go to bed and still had writing to do. When I wanted her to stop working and take me for a walk, she told me to present myself as a living sacrifice. I’m sorry but if anyone is planning on doing to me what they did to those cute little lambs in the Bible, I plan to try to wiggle off that altar.

On Monday morning, Mommy and I led someone to Jesus who needed Jesus a lot. If we had rushed home to see Daddy, we would not have been there. When this sad woman prayed to receive Jesus, her face changed right in front of me. I thought about the Bible verse that talks about mourning turning into dancing. Like always, I guess the Bible is right. Mommy sacrificing what she wants to do and following what God told her to do put Mommy in exactly the right place for that woman. The funny thing is that after Mommy helped that woman meet Jesus, she was happier than she probably would have been if she had rushed home to Daddy. Following God was good for Mommy and the person Mommy helped.

This living sacrifice thing might not be as bad as it sounds. On Sunday, I wanted to go with Mommy into the church but when I saw her turn on the generator and air conditioner, I knew I was staying in Hallelujah. Maybe waiting patiently was me presenting my body as a living sacrifice. When I do the right thing, I feel better even if it isn’t want I want to do at the time. I’d probably still try to wiggle off the altar if I saw knives, ropes, and matches but maybe one day, I’ll understand that even that would be worth it if it was what God required of me.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

And We - And I Do Mean WE - Are Off


By Belle the Missionary Dog
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady


God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Cor 1:9NIV

We’re on the road. I’m happy riding next to Mommy in the front of Hallelujah. Mommy and I love Jesus and I get to help Mommy tell people about Jesus. Mommy thought I might not get to go on this trip but I wasn’t worried. I’m Belle the Missionary Dog. Helping Mommy is my job. I knew I was going. After all, Mommy always says that God is faithful and that when He calls us to do a job He will make a way.

Everything was fine until Saturday morning when Mommy and I went outside to clean Hallelujah. Mommy cranked the engine, pushed the button to turn the generator on and nothing happened. She pushed it again…and again…and again. Mommy always says that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Why did she keep pushing that button?

When she told Daddy about the problem, he asked, “Did you try cranking the engine first?” I wish you could have seen Mommy’s look. Even I knew to crank the engine when the generator had been sitting for a while.

“I’m just making sure,” Daddy muttered. “What happens when you push the button?”

“Nothing,” Mommy said.

“What do you mean nothing?” Daddy asked.

“I mean nothing,” Mommy said. Now they were making me insane.

“The engine doesn’t turn over?”

Bob,” Mommy said. “Nothing happens!” Mommy always says Daddy doesn’t like surprises. Couldn’t she tell he was just surprised?

Daddy went outside and pushed the button. “It didn’t crank,” he announced. Mommy got that look again.

Next, he climbed under Halleluiah. “It’s not cranking from the button on the generator either,” he reported.

That was when Mommy said the horrible words, “If I don’t have a generator, Belle can’t go.”

Why?” Daddy said and I thought in unison.

“If I have to go inside somewhere, I can’t leave her in the camper without air conditioning,” Mommy explained. Mommy always says you are supposed to speak in faith. Why was she even saying I might not get to go?

In our house, when God tells us to do something, we do it. Mommy always says if we know what God wants us to do and have a problem, we pray, ask people for help, continue doing the work in front of us, and wait on God to do the rest. For the next three days, Mommy and Daddy worked hard. They asked for prayer, continued getting ready for the trip, and looked for someone to fix the generator. God is faithful and it looked like they were doing the footwork so I waited.

On Monday, Mommy and Daddy put Hal in the generator hospital. Mommy and her friend, Cathy Tubbs went evangelizing and led two people to Jesus. Mommy always says that when you are worried about something, to sow seeds of faith. It seemed like she was doing that so I kept waiting on the Lord.

We were supposed to leave on Tuesday and on Tuesday morning, Hal still wasn’t ready. Mommy always says God is never late but He is seldom early. We didn’t have to be in North Carolina until Thursday night so it didn’t look to me like God was late yet. I wasn’t worried.

Finally, Tuesday afternoon, they got the generator working. Yes, I was happy but I knew it all along. It cost $600 but Mommy always says God funds what he calls us to do so I knew God was going to send the money to pay for that generator repair.

Mommy and Daddy got Hallelujah packed. They even remembered my treats. We left on Wednesday and drove all day. Tomorrow is Thursday and we are only 3 hours from where we have to be tomorrow night. Mommy always says that if you ask God for knowledge of his will and the power to carry it out, He will answer your prayer. It looks to me like God did just that. Would someone please tell my Mommy and Daddy to listen to what Mommy always says? If they did, I think they would get more sleep.

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