Hamish

We have been looking after our friend's dog - Hamish. He is a Westie and extremely well behaved. I think we heard him bark twice in the two weeks we had him stay with us!! We used to have a Westie called Sam and he was just...... well.... mad!! That's the only way I can put it. He didn't listen to a word we said unless we had a buscuit in our hand. If we ever let him off his lead when we were out he would run off and the only way he would come back to us would be if we held up his lead and shouted that word that dogs love to hear..."Walkies!!!" He would come running back to us, all excited, thinking he was going somewhere different. I don't think it ever occurred to him that he was already going walkies, albeit in a 'disobedient' way. And if he was in the garden, the only way we could get him to come back into the house was if we pressed the doorbell - then he would come charging in to see who he could attack at the door. He was good fun, a bit exhausting but very loyal.

I feel that is sometimes like our relationship with Jesus. Good fun - we never know what the Lord will do next or who He will bring into our lives! A bit exhausting - there's always something new to learn from the Bible and to put into action. Sometimes I think I have something all figured out and then..POP... the Lord reveals something else or sends me in a new direction. Sometimes I don't see the new direction and He has to ring the door bell...then off I run! Following His plan, not mine. And there is no-one as loyal as Jesus - a friend who will never leave nor forsake me, my Shepherd, my Counsellor, my Bread of Life.

When I was at school we used to sing a song called "Oh Jesus I have promised to serve You 'til the end" It was my favourite song to sing and at the end of the song were the words...."my Saviour and my Friend". Oh to have the loyal King of kings as my friend. What a privilege. What an honour to be called a friend of the King.