He Knows Me Well

   
                                                               

 Shadow was already six years old and no longer a pup when our Golden Retriever, Bo was adopted.   Due to an under active thyroid Bo was nearly twenty pounds over weight when he arrived. Let's just say he had a lot of girth. Not only was he round but he was also tall.  The first night we got him he rested his head on the dinner table while we ate, a habit I quickly broke. Shadow was much smaller and the only place he'd rest his head was on my lap, when allowed.
     Not only was Bo big but he was furry! He enjoyed laying in front of the refrigerator while I cooked dinner. The cool air was refreshing to him when I opened the door.  Each evening all 123 lbs. of him would plop down in my work space. I would get so frustrated because I could never get him to move. (An issue I didn't have with Shadow, who always found a spot less traveled.)
     One evening in particular Shadow was laying by the back door and Bo was fast asleep in the middle of the walk way.  I was in a hurry and was doing my best to get Bo to either shift out of the way or to move altogether. He would not budge. I tried pushing his dead weight out of the way but with no success.  Finally in a firm voice I said, "Bo, get out of my kitchen." Nothing.  Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Shadow quietly get up and go into the next room. I looked at Bo who was as content as could be, oblivious to my requests.
     I couldn't help but grin.  Here I was talking to one dog and the other obeyed.  Shadow had grown to know me so well that he understood my desire.  Bo, on the other hand, was still a newbie to our home and still didn't understand my ways. Shadow is a border collie, a herding breed known for its intelligence and extraordinary instinct they follow closely and protect the flock. Over the years he has studied me so closely that he has come to recognize the inflection in my voice.  His desire is to please me.  (I just love that little one.)
     Jesus said,"My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me."  (John 10:27)   As we follow the Lord closely and come to know him better through reading his Word and through daily prayer, we too come to know his voice in such a way that we can recognize his desire for us. I don't know about you, but I want to hear the inflection of his voice.
 
      I think I can hear him now, with a grin on his face saying, " I just love that little one."