Lessons from a Sheep Dog

Reginald was our second, lively Border Collie since moving onto this hobby farm in 1985. Neither he nor Kep (named after a dog in Beatrix Potter) ever learned how to handle our flock of sheep, but they found ways to pretend to "herd" anyway.

Even if you haven't tried to raise one of these bundles of intelligent energy, the descriptions in Lessons from a Sheep Dog by Phillip Keller bring them to life in a special way.

And, as in all his books, Keller finds deep spiritual significance in his everyday interactions with the world around him - here focused on a dog named Lass, who was about to be destroyed until she came under the care of a loving and patient shepherd.

"Lass, of course, could not fully comprehend the complexity of the work we were doing. And at times she gave me the distinct impression that for a dog as energetic as she was, to 'stay' was almost asking too much of her.

"God used this element in Lass to teach me a most important principle. I began to grasp the absolute necessity to be quietly steadfast and faithful wherever He placed me. In a sense these interludes in life were a test not only of my faithfulness to God, but also of His to me."

"Lass helped me to understand that it is often in the darkest hour, during pressing danger, that the Master is closest to us. He cares, and He cares profoundly. It is His presence which gives us peace. It is His nearness which gives us hope. It is His protection which gives us life."