The Bungee Cord. 9-29-25

Hello,

It is good to have a dog, because my dog is constantly reminding me of things that I too often forget.

Our family has almost always had a dog. One of the foremost reasons has been that as a Pastor I am often gone in the evenings, and we want to have something that barks when people come to our house, especially now as we live out in the country. Even though none of our dogs would truly ward off any unwanted visitors, just the barking has brought some security to our souls.

Our last two dogs have been Gordon Setters. They are bird hunting dogs, but as I don’t hunt, I just like the way they look and their personalities, so they have been merely pets to me. Our current dog, McMahon, is nine years old, and we have had him since he was eight weeks old. As Gordon Setters are known to be, he is a bit stubborn, but he is a great companion. He likes to snuggle and hang around with us in the same room.

But herein lies what McMahon is constantly reminding me. Life is good when he has a ball to play with, food in his bowl twice a day, a rawhide chew after his meal, and someone to scratch behind his ears. The little things are what makes his life. The stress of the world does not bear down on his shoulders. Unknown worries do not worry him. Every day is a new day, and he never questions his trust in us.

Of course, a dog’s world is a much simpler world than the human world. Yet, the world of humans can, and does, become much more cumbersome than it has to be. Humans find themselves concerned about status and influence. Humans find themselves lured to comfort and technology. Humans find themselves engulfed in matters far beyond one’s backyard.

McMahon, by the wag of his tail when I mention the word “ball” or “eat”, cuts through the pressures that I carry on my shoulders, and I suddenly see the simple things in life that are life’s foundation. A roof over my head, relationships of love, food on my table, and things like pickleball that make me smile. And maybe even more important, McMahon reminds me that I have someone that I can unquestionably trust, the Lord; someone whose love for me far extends my love for McMahon (I wouldn’t die for him), and someone whose wisdom far exceeds mine.

McMahon turns my mind on to one of the scriptures passages that Kate and I had read art our wedding, now 44 years ago, “22 Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?[d] 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[e] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” (Luke 12)

Thank you, McMahon, for keeping my eyes open to the grace of God.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger