Lessons From A Dog's Tail....

• Posted: 9:36 AM
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• Author: Jayson Pagan

WINTER.
Biting winds whistled through the deserted streets of a quaint, northern town. The temperature continued to drop, but that failed to deter one lone man from venturing outside. Heavily bundled he plunged through the sub-zero weather, with the ends of his plaid, woolen neck scarf flapping in the wind. Jake Matthews walked with steady, brisk strides. His hunched shoulders and forward lean gave him the appearance of a man on a mission. Who else would be out on such a fearsome night?

As Jake pressed onward to a destination known only to himself, he spotted a trembling, emaciated dog cowering for shelter behind a telephone pole. Something drew him a step closer. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like a child had played a cruel prank on the poor dog.

Jake squinted. Sure enough, a tin can was tied to the dog’s tail and the rope was wrapped around the pole several times. In his frantic struggles to get free from the can, he must have run back and forth from pole to tree. All to no avail. Finally, with one last desperate dash in a circle, the animal had sealed his fate. Without a break in the weather, which was unlikely, he would make his last stand entangled around the telephone pole.

What a sorry sight! Jake thought as he stared at the dog. Compassion tugged at his heart. For the moment, he forgot how cold it was. Drawing closer still, he paused and inspected the creature. He’s skinny, all right. Looks miserable. Bald patches in his coat. A stray, no doubt. . .

Jake stooped down, reached out his hand and called to the dog. Suspicious at first, and for good reason, the dog overcame his fears and gradually approached. Inch by slow inch he crept forward, whining with each step. Gently, Jake reached out his hand and stroked the frightened animal, all the while speaking kind words. After removing the string and tin cane from his tail, the man lifted the dog up, opened his overcoat and tucked the bedraggled animal inside for the journey back home.

They arrived at last. As Jake went into the house, he explained to his wife how he found the half-starved little dog on the street. He urged her, “Please, sweetheart, put a blanket in the corner of the kitchen, by the heater where it’s warm. We’ll take care of him, at least for tonight.” He looked down and shook his head, “He would’ve died if I’d left him out in the cold.”

Mary smiled to herself, knowing her husband’s soft heart for strays. One night would never be enough. She returned with a suitable blanket and together they lovingly placed the still-quivering creature upon it. He whimpered softly. They offered a delicious bowl of warm milk and bread, followed by some scraps from the evening meal. The famished dog devoured the feast. For the first time in many months, he wagged his tail (with caution) for the unusual kindness bestowed on him.

The next day, as Jake and Mary awoke to the early morning sunlight, the dog greeted his benefactors with a slightly more enthusiastic wag of his tail. As the couple exchanged a quick glance, they reached a decision. The dog, thought not much to look at in his present state, had found a home.

“What should we name him, dear?” Jake asked. “He must have a name if he’s to be part of the family.” They were both silent for a few moments, then stared at the dog and at each other.

Mary volunteered with a chuckle, “The way he looks…Old Bones might suit him fine.”

“True, he’s not much of a prize right now,” he answered. “You just wait, though! In a month or so he’ll look like he’s got royal blood in him.” He paused and thought a moment. “How about Monarch for a name? Rather regal-sounding, don’t you think? Besides, that’s the name of a butterfly. You know how different they look from the caterpillar that spins a cocoon!”

Monarch he became.

Days and weeks passed since the new addition to the family. Time revealed an incredible metamorphosis taking place in the old dog. His eyes became clearer, his nose grew cool and moist, and his tail wagged vigorously whenever anyone even glanced his way. More remarkable, though, was his coat. The silky, russet-colored fur glistened in the sunlight streaming through the window onto his favorite napping spot. What a change in Monarch! After lots of good food and tender loving care, Jake and Mary could scarcely recognize the fine-looking animal as the same miserable stray of four weeks ago.

Each afternoon about four-thirty, Monarch whined and scratched at the door to go outside. He trotted to the end of the walk, sat by the gate and waited for his master to come home from work. The sound of the family car coming up the street was etched clearly in his memory. As soon as the familiar noise reached his ears, he would begin barking excitedly and thumping his tail with wild abandon. Joy… JOY! Master was home!

Then, when Monarch heard the car door slam shut, he could restrain himself no longer. He ran in circles and bounded about, almost knocking over his beloved Jake as he came through the gate. From that moment on, master and dog remained inseparable for the rest of the evening.

One night after dinner Jake was snoozing in his favorite easy chair with is arm dangling over the arm rest. Monarch lay nearby in utter bliss. Suddenly, Jake awakened to something wet nuzzling his hand. As he leaned over the side of the chair, his gaze met two of the most loving eyes any dog ever had for his master. He nodded and smiled as, over and over, Monarch licked the hand of the one to whom he owed his very life. It was the same hand, in fact, that had reached out to him in far different circumstances.

Above all else, one thing stood out in the scene. It was obvious that Monarch had followed Jake into the room and had lain by his side out of sheer devotion. He didn’t beg for food or whine for attention, but merely expressed gratitude for being able to rest in his master’s presence. Looking up with eyes filled with rapt adoration, and as the best way of expressing the love he felt – licking the hand of his master – Monarch was content. (A story by A.P. Gibbs)


We cannot only recognize the hurting when they are brought to our attention. We must keep an eye open for the condition of people and the soul. Often our greatest enemy to finding and loving people is our “full speed ahead” mindset.

We walk so briskly through life “doing ministry” that we fail to see where to truly “minister”. If you do not desire for your schedule to be interrupted by people who are “tied to the pole”, then ministry is not for you. We need an eye for the hurting and must learn to “make haste slowly” enough to recognize where hurting is present. If you are so focused on YOUR destination how do you expect to get other people to THEIR destination? Isn’t that what leadership is about?

This was not Jake’s first rodeo with one stray. His wife recounted his ‘soft heart for strays’. Jesus had a soft heart for strays as well. He said that the true shepherd leaves the ninety-nine protected sheep to launch a search for the one who has gone astray from the fold. Self-serving ministry, leadership, and churches chase the strays off with brooms and rocks – not us. WE MUST DEVELOP A HEART FOR STRAYS.

When Jake saw the dog he did not judge where the dog had come from or determine how stupid the dog was for having run back and forth from pole to tree, sealing his own death sentence. Blame is not issue here – COMPASSION IS THE ISSUE. Even Jesus, who knew every detail of every life, saw people “tied to their pole” by their own fault, and was ‘moved with compassion’. Jake was so enveloped by this compassion that he forgot how cold it was. His present circumstance of sub-zero temperatures was forgotten when his eyes fell on the near death circumstance of this poor wounded dog. YOUR COMFORT and COMPASSION OF CHRIST are not easily married. Generally, having compassion on someone else will mean placing yourself in an uncomfortable and self-denying place.

People need faith. People need to feel like there is hope and help. People need to feel that they are worth finding and salvaging – that they have value to someone and to God. The presence of these needful feelings takes place when you draw close to them. A phone call with genuine concern, a visit with authentic relationship in mind or a sincere prayer will do wonders. Leaders are often afraid to let people in, but you cannot help them if you cannot reach the wound to bandage it. REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND CALL OUT .... but

Remember that the last time they came near to someone there were “strings attached” – for this puppy, in a literal sense. The puppy was bounding around to play with some kids, pouncing, jumping, and rolling. He thought he was having fun. No walls. No boundaries. Just fun – relationship! You see where that openness and naivety got him? – a lonely bitter-cold death sentence. Don’t expect everyone to just trust you because others do. More often than not, just as the wounded dog hunkered down at the ‘reaching out’ of Jack’s hand, people will be suspicious of your motives as well- don’t take it personally.

Leaders are used to ‘get it done!’ brisk, task-oriented lifestyle. People are not paperwork. You WORK with things, paperwork, tasks – you SERVE people. You do not WORK with people. If you look at people as WORK you will find yourself punching a time clock and feeling that people invade your life. They become a problem, not a calling or a burden.

You have to switch gears when serving people. You have to slow down…be GENTLE…and be KIND. This is when the fruit of the Spirit is so needful in ministry. People need to feel that genuine gentleness and sincere love and kindness – not the fake kind that sweetens the conversation until they walk away from you. They need the gentleness that comes from a leader who has met God in prayer for them before they meet the person face to face. A Kindness that flows from a heart who is willing to be give back to others from the bounty of goodness that God has given them. The more we take time to remember God’s so awesome mercy and gentleness in our lives, the more readily we will allow the same to flow out of us onto the ones who need it in desperate measures.

You must move to help, but you cannot ‘slam’ healing into someone. You cannot grow a garden overnight. Some things God needs us to handle gently and kindly.


Drawing close is not enough. Somehow we must offer protection. Jake took the wounded even closer than his hand; he put him under his coat in a warm sheltered place next to his heart. Stopping by to say “hi” is only the beginning of your position in helping someone to heal. They need to know you have totally committed to them. They need a place near your heart. They need to know you will protect them from others who have ‘strings and tin cans’.

One of the greatest ways of doing this is helping them to leave the cold. Get them into a different environment, physically and spiritually. And then, CONVINCE OTHERS OF THE NEED TO LOVE AND AID THEM. Jake told his wife of the sub-zero rescue in detail – and he rallied her compassion and willingness to sacrifice for the healing of the dog along with him. Others will wonder why you have chosen to open your life to ‘such a wretch’. Do not defend the wretch, but take that person to the pole, pour your heart out and endeavor to rally them to help and sacrifice for the same. In this way you are protecting the wounded. If people will not be rallied, they may have a few ‘strings and tin cans’ tied around their own tail.


It is true. It is a fact. It is simple. God knows every situation and you were sent to this person – no questions asked. The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord. Do not take it as an option. God called you for this purpose. Jake look a final look down at the dog before he retired, exhausted for the night – and as he reviewed the whole scenario he stated, “He would have died if I’d left him out in the cold.” It is undeniable. You are irreplaceable. Without you, they will die.

Jake’s wife sees the horrific state of the poor dog. Even though the dog’s rescuer, Jake, says, “we’ll take care of him, at least for tonight”, she recognizes the fact. This may take more than a night or two. There are some things, as ministry, we can control and determine, but when it comes to how long healing will take- that determination is God’s. We must simply be committed to service, and when someone inquires, “How long?”, we should reply, “As long as God needs, “ because – One night may not be enough. Jake set out to be a hotel, but when God gives you a stray he has one thing in mind – A HOME. There is a big difference!

I have personally stood in amazement of how much a dog can eat. I have heard it said that they will eat themselves to death if you allow them. I don’t know how true that is, but as ministry we should understand that famished people devour. They can easily be mistaken as ‘sponges’ and always looking for a ‘handout’. Is it so strange that starving people in third world countries are often arrested for violence which they committed in the name of hunger? Strays will get what they can – the thing is, no one owns them, so everything they get will generally belong to someone else. Jake feeds the wounded dog, and he inhales quickly to the last crumb. The dog knows nothing about stopping to enjoy the blessing or sharing with other dogs or doing something to deserve the meal – strays are scavengers and have learned that if they don’t demand or steal they will not lie down with a full belly. It causes them to become wild and mean… and they are not easily re-trained.

I was once confronted by a stray while on a door to door outreach campaign. That dog was incredibly intimidating. It was not afraid to show its teeth-it was territorial and threatened by my close proximity. This is the life of a stray. Always remember, “Hurt people hurt people”. They generally have no idea they are doing it – it is simply the way they were taught by someone’s example or maybe they were abandoned and had to ‘hit the streets’ and fend for themselves.

It is important to understand that this does not go away just because they are delivered from the ‘string and tin cans’. They must have someone to feed them, lead them, love them – and after they learn to trust, they will begin to see that God and you will be faithful. You must teach them how much they can have, how to get more, and bring balance to their diet. If they are not taught, they will maintain the same disposition as a stray, but now they will be in your home. Don’t be surprised if they tip over the trash can on the kitchen floor and bring havoc. It is your responsibility to train them to abandon the ‘devouring nature’.

A small wag of the tail- that’s it! Don’t do what you are doing with the motive of getting something in return. You will be disappointed in them and frustrated in the relationship. You are in this for God. You are in this because God sent you, it is your calling, you are here to serve, and you know God’s reward will be incomparable to anything the stray has to offer. Jake fed the dog milk that took time to warm, along with bread and other food that someone had to buy, and just gave it to a nameless stray – and all he got in return was a few hesitant wags of the tail that were probably more directed at the food than the person giving it. You cannot expect people who are hurt to show gratitude – it’s just not realistic.

David’s ‘mighty men of valor’ were really just a bunch of mess-ups. David was royalty in the making. Instead of labeling them as warriors, soldiers, or fighters, David said the vagabonds be called ‘mighty men of valor’. DAVID HAD A HEART FOR STRAYS – and loved the men more than himself.

Jack didn’t go to the store and get dog food and a water bowl. He made it more personal than that. He heated up some milk and took some fresh bread from the cabinet. He showed hospitality to the undesirable guest. When it came time to name the dog others suggested the name “Old Bones”, which was indeed the perfect name based on his current condition. Jack never stopped seeing beyond that ugly dog. When others would have taken the dog to the vet to have him put to sleep, Jack took him home and made a place for him. When others would have fed him water and dog food, Jack ransacked his cupboards. When others wanted to name him “Old Bones”, Jack refused and wanted to name him “Monarch” - A title of royalty. If you are their leader, how you treat people and how you view them is generally the way they will turn out. How many times David’s vagabonds risked their lives, breaking through gates of cities, storming the enemy while devouring their foe one by one – because David acknowledged them as MIGHTY and full of VALOR. If you treat people like dogs don’t be surprised when they come home with fleas. When you treat them like princes, don’t be surprised when they produce loyalty, bravery, courage, and become assets to the kingdom. Good leaders don’t see Old Bones, they see Monarchs.

Commitment to service brings true results. The true reward doesn’t come from untying ‘strings with tin cans’, it comes from the long-term permanent transformation. The result of your commitment to God and the hurting is undeniable. Sadly enough, a lot of leaders aren’t willing to stick around long enough to witness the transformation. It doesn’t happen fast enough for them.

Misery is turned into overwhelming joy. Clouded eyes are clear again. The physical appearance is renewed. The timid, hunkered down, freezing, fearful, and physically ravaged dog is now alert, mindful, loving, and other remarkable differences are obvious. It takes time and sacrifice to lead someone from ashes to beauty, but it is well worth the price.

This is the ultimate goal. If the loyalty of this ne-made creature is only to the human who rescued him, the rescuer has failed. Human relationship without the GODly connection is dangerous and lifeless. Jack was the rescuer and the Master – but that’s in dogland. In Godland it is different – we are used by God to rescue, lead, and bring healing. But we are called to lead people into the presence of the ONE that truly transforms. We do this by our example of aggressive love and persistent faith.
There are many leaders, but only one healer. Leaders deserve loyalty if they have nurtured thus far, but God deserves WORSHIP for the power of his amazing love and operation of Calvary. We must show them the cross and the source of our power. Take them to the one who took us to them.
How do you get people to be loyal to you as a leader? This happens automatically to the true godly leader who is leading toward the right things. Loyalty is a natural result of godly leadership, but the sole motive of men who would rather that others follow them than to worship Christ. Lead people to Jesus Christ, and forget about gaining their loyalty…they are one in the same. Show them the power of his presence, relationship with him, and the greatness of his regeneration in their life. If you have lead them to the Jesus I know, they will be sure to be more loyal to you than to any other person on earth. You will have a very strong sense of fulfillment as they ‘run to meet the Master’ every day…

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