Eli never knew what hit him. He was a beach dog. An Australian Split Jaw Shepherd to be more precise. As it came around the corner the truck and Eli tried to occupy the same space at one moment. His head went under the wheel and he should have been dead right there.
Thing is, his owner Frank was just finishing a Beach Boy Bible study and saw the whole thing. Every Friday morning for eleven years, rain or shine these men gathered. Every month who they were changed. And they changed for the better. More loving, more charitable, better able to share the joys and sorrows of life with each other. Had you asked them individually they would each have said that a year ago, or five or ten, they would not have made it through without their BBBBrothers.
Today it was Eli’s turn. They rushed to his side. The truck driver was profoundly sorry and of absolutely no help at all. Brother Art was there and his healing hands did the trick. He tied up Eli’s little head with a beach towel and stabilized the injury. The men prayed over the dog and he and Frank headed to the vet.
Miraculously he had suffered only a dislocated jaw and the VetDoc snapped it back into place. Art’s healing touch
“Breathe into this little friend of man the breath of life Lord,” he had prayed.
Ezekiel 37:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And 37:10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet . . .
Most people go through each week without a kindness being shown to them. When you can simply use the breath in your lungs to activate your vocal cords you are giving your breath to them. You are breathing life into them.
When you are stopped in life, waiting at the barber shop, in line at the bank or the grocery store, instead of checking your email, just call someone with whom you have not chatted for a long while. They will be amazed that you cared. And the people who will be listening to you out of their boredom standing in line next to you, will hear you say, “I haven’t called in a long while.” And “God Bless you old friend.” And they too will be inspired.
If you have just 92 people in your Contact list and call one a day, that would give them a lift four times a year. Sometimes that is all that they need to make it through. And if you feel a little foolish calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a long while – the impact will be even greater. And if it is a complete dud, hey they didn’t remember you so why worry over it because they still won’t remember who you are. One of my favorite t-shirts said, “:I’m a fool for Jesus. Whose fool are you?”
“I went out to find a friend and found none. I went out to be a friend and found many.” Anonymous.
by Bob Bekins, November 2013
A Guy Named Bob 