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Finally, the official release of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace happens Tuesday, February 24th. Spread the word!

Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

(Re-posted from Crosswalk.com)

“Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace” is a collection of spiritual truths I learned from my rescued Labrador Retrievers Hannah and Maggie.

Martin Luther wrote about his canine companions. “The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made his greatest gifts the commonest.” We can learn so much from these faithful friends about life, love, and grace. Who knew that some of my most profound lessons would be taught by a couple of rescued puppies? Here is a sampler from the book.

Love Your Life

Is there a better example of this than a canine companion? If only we could live like we were just let off the leash to run in freedom and joyous abandon. I wish I enjoyed anything as much as my dog enjoys everything! Enjoy the day you have. Sure, life can be hard and often seems unfair. For some, life is really hard. But we do have a choice in how we play the cards dealt to us. If you live fully in the moment, you revel in what you have around you. Right on cue Maggie just walked in the room, saw her toy, leaped through the air, and grabbed it. Now she is having a blast tossing it around.

I know that life can be burdensome, but I suspect we pass by a lot of those spontaneous opportunities for joy each day as we worry about something that may not even happen.
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Love to Serve and Give

Maggie loves to have a job. She is happiest when she patrols the backyard and keeps the squirrels, birds, and bugs out of her kingdom. I really think she is convinced that she is conducting an important service for her human pack by keeping the backyard secure and safe from intruders.

The happiest people I know are those who serve and give their lives away. Giving your time to serve others is so counterintuitive to the self-centered messages that we are bombarded with every day. If I decided to live fully in the moment, I would prepare by spending a little time each day in Philippians 2, Colossians 3, and Romans 12. Here are some sample verses to get you started.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Philippians 2:14-15
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:14-15
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13

Love Grace

There was no better earthly example of grace than my canine friend Hannah. If grace is defined as unmerited or undeserved favor, then I would have nominated Hannah as the poster dog.

But Hannah’s grace is just an infinitesimal fraction of the grace God extended to me when I had nothing to offer Him except sin and brokenness. He willingly gave me His best when I offered only my worst. Nothing has changed my life more than beginning to understand the radical, mind-blowing extent of God’s grace.

Grace allows me to quit trying to be righteous and actually begin to be righteous as I focus on the One who gave me the gift of grace. Grace allows me to deal with sin instead of trying to manage and rationalize it. Grace is real and powerful. It is not weak or cheap. If you think grace is cheap, go to the foot of the cross, look up, and see what grace price was paid for every person on earth. Grace should never be my cover for sin. Instead grace is my only hope to deal with it. Grace makes me tremble when I think of an almighty and powerful God who loved someone unlovable like me. Why would He give such a gift to an unworthy child? And how could I be comfortable taking advantage of that amazing grace? I cannot. I pray that I will not. Grace is compelling. I want it to be compelling in my life as well. Real grace works. Love grace with abandon.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8

Love Today

Hannah woke up convinced that every day was the best day ever. Maggie does the same. I think Satan’s strategy is devastatingly simple and effective. He wants us to live in regret of the past and fear of the future, effectively robbing us of the joy of today. Find something to love each day, even on your worst day. My Labrador friends always found something “wag worthy” in their day.

Trust me; it’s out there.

The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
Psalm 28:7

That is just a sampler plate of the lessons we learn from these wonderful creatures. Dog lover or not I hope you will see how God can use all of His creation to teach us about life, love and grace.

Want more? If you have not read the Intro and First Chapter yet there is a free preview here.

I am delighted to share a brief snippet of my new book Stay. The book releases in less than 2 weeks. You can pre-order a copy now by clicking here.

Today Maggie and I traversed the usual path. She sniffed and I listened to a podcast as we paced briskly through a comfortable Texas fall morning. She spotted something and moved toward the curb. My eye caught something at the same time, and I jerked violently on her leash to pull her toward me.

She looked surprised, puzzled at what she had done wrong for such a harsh correction from me. The truth was that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Some knucklehead had shattered a beer bottle and a jagged piece was right in her path. She could have been seriously cut by the razor-sharp glass. I was thankful I had spotted it, but I could see that my action confused and maybe hurt Maggie’s feelings. I needed to assure her that my unexpected reaction was not punitive but entirely out of my love and concern for her.

I immediately dropped down to my knee, scratched Maggie’s ears, and verbally praised her. “It’s okay, girl. Everything’s okay. It’s okay.”

I was glad that she perked up immediately. Her uncertainty vanished, her drooping tail began to wag, and her beautiful eyes brightened again. She understood we were good again. It was another lesson for me to ponder.
How many times have I responded in confusion and hurt when God gently or not so gently pulled me off a path of destruction when I had no idea what He was doing? If only I would trust and love God as much as Maggie trusts and loves me. Instead I start second-guessing when God throws me a curve or allows a high-and-tight fastball to knock me on my keister. I get out the transgression magnifying glass to detect which sin might have caused God to withdraw His favor from me, occasionally throwing pleading glances heavenward.

Right on cue during the morning walk, Pastor Tullian Tchividjian answered my question with this insight.
“Until we see God-sent storms as interventions and not punishments, we’ll never get better, we’ll only get bitter. Some difficult circumstances you’re facing right now may well be a God-sent storm of mercy intended to be his intervention in your life. You’re in danger, and either you don’t realize it or you’re living in denial.”

Precisely. God sees the jagged glass that I am about to step on and He pulls me back in love. The problem isn’t with Him; it’s my response to the correction. I am shocked, hurt, then pout—the Dave Burchett default mode. Thanks Maggie, I need to pay attention to your lesson. You were startled and hurt when I gave you such a strong correction, but then you instinctively looked at me. As soon as I assured her that I loved her and all was okay, she was fine.

Simple for her, and it should be for me, too. I am still learning to trust that God loves me when I feel He is disciplining me.

Taken from Stay by Dave Burchett copyright © 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

Several years ago youngest son and dog lover Brett called from Baylor University. He had spotted five abandoned puppies along the side of the road. He tried to round them up but could only catch one. Brett called to let me know that he intended to bathe, feed, care for the dog and then take him to the Humane Society on Monday for adoption. I knew I was in trouble when Brett decided to let me know what his rescued puppy looked like.

I called the lovely Mrs.Burchett. “He is working me,” I told her. “He is falling in love with this dog.” On Sunday I was driving through Waco and I stopped to see Brett and his alleged short term friend. The way this puppy followed Brett around and looked at him was astounding. He appeared to sense that Brett was, for him, the canine version of Amazing Grace. That dog seemed to understand that he once was lost and now was found. Maybe if we remembered our dramatic rescue along the side of the road to destruction we might gaze at our Rescuer more consistently with such a look of adoration.

I also started falling in love with this improbable mutt and concluded that our family dog population had just increased. Brett was scheduled to take “Trigger” to the vet for shots and a checkup on Monday. On that day another phone call came. Trigger had become violently ill overnight. The scourge of too many abandoned puppies seemed to have attacked this sweet little ragamuffin mutt. Trigger had contracted Parvovirus. Brett’s words were heartbreaking in their honesty and love.

“Dad, I don’t think he is going to make it. But at least he knew he was loved for a few days.”

Okay. I cried at Old Yeller. I am a soft touch. But that remark from my youngest touched my heart and made me think that this is a microcosm of ministry. Sometimes it is heartbreaking. The results don’t always match our desires. But if we can love the down and out like Jesus at least they know they have been loved and they will know the source of that love.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matt 25, NLT)

The results are not guaranteed when you minister to the least of these. But when we do minister to the least of these we show them the very face of Jesus.

This one had a happy ending. Trigger was in the hospital for 12 days of intravenous feeding and medication. I earned hundreds of airline miles on my credit card thanks to Trigger. He and Brett have been best buddies going on nine years.

Trigger is doing great.

And he still knows that he is loved.