One of the great philosophical questions of our age was addressed lyrically a few years ago. And I quote from that thoughtful anthem by Baja Men.
Who let the dogs out
(woof, woof, woof, woof)
(woof, woof, woof, woof)
Today we know a partial answer to that haunting query. On February 24th
Tyndale Publishing House will let the dogs of Stay out to your E-Reader, bookstore, and online vendor of choice. As a lead up to that day we thought it would be fun to do some bios of the dogs featured in my new book.
The stars of the book are Hannah and our new rescued friend Maggie. Hannah was our amazing friend and canine comforter during Joni’s cancer journey nine years ago. Hannah’s best canine friend was Sadie.
Our son Scott adopted Sadie while attending Baylor University and it was love at first sight for both of them.
A bit later Hannah joined the family and these two became fast friends. It was remarkable watching them interact. Here is how I described a visit to see Sadie in Stay.
Just the mention of her best friend’s name gets Hannah excited. From the moment we pull out of the driveway and head to Sadie’s house (at least Sadie thinks it is hers), you can see Hannah’s growing eagerness as we drive through the neighborhood. My canine navigator doesn’t need a GPS for this familiar route. Her ears perk up and her tail begins to wag as we get closer.
When we arrive, she jumps out of the car and heads straight to the front door without the normal olfactory explorations. She bounces up and down because her sweet friend is on the other side. Suddenly, the door opens and the greeting is simple. There is no extensive sniffing or posturing; their body language is relaxed. They are two old girlfriends.
Watching how easily Hannah and Sadie settle in together is a hallmark of real friendship. Real friends come together as if time has never passed. Whether it’s been hours, days, or years since you’ve been together, when you see a real friend, you immediately feel safety, comfort, and connection. Taken from Stay by Dave Burchett copyright © 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
A song by the Avett Brothers titled The Perfect Space expresses the yearning of my heart.
I wanna’ have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was.
Wouldn’t that be amazing? To have a friend that you could trust with all that is true about you and feel safe. All of us have a deep need to be known and accepted.
Hannah and Sadie demonstrated that kind of friendship. Friendly competition to fetch tennis balls in the pool. No jealousy when the other one got attention. They just loved to be together.
For their human friends the the truth is that nothing creates an environment of trust like humility and loyalty. In that soil deep friendship grows. When you look at your friends through the lens of grace you see who they have become and, more importantly, who they can become in Christ.
This journey is hard. We all need friends who can be real and present.
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 27:9, NLT)
Next up in The Dogs of Stay…Rescued and Adopted!
