Joni shares the story of a runaway puppy stuck in a storm drain. We are like that puppy when we are stuck in our sin, in need of a Rescuer! Jesus is faithful to save us and pull us out of the storm drains we fall into.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with an important dog lesson.
But it’s not the kind of doggy lesson you’d think. It is a true story about Sheila Walsh and her little dog. As I heard Sheila tell it recently, she was out in front of her house throwing a ball to her small dog, Charlie. Back and forth the ball went, between my friend and her feisty little guy. The exchange was getting pretty energetic, and one toss of the ball went over Charlie’s head. And as the ball bounced into the street, the dog took after it. Unfortunately, the ball rolled down the opposite side of the curb and dropped into a storm drain. And before Sheila could stop him, Charlie - with great enthusiasm - bounded down the drain in pursuit of the ball. Sheila came racing up, got on her knees to look through the metal grill, and there, teetering on the concrete ledge just above the deep storm drain, sat her frightened little puppy. The ball had long-gone disappeared down the pipe, but Charlie had enough sense to remain on the ledge. He looked up at her, whining. Sheila called to him, tried with all her might to move the steel lattice - you know, the kind that keeps trash and small branches from going down the drain? - but it would not budge. She did not have the strength.
That’s when a neighbor with his son came alongside to see if they could help. All three put all their strength into pulling back the metal grate, and finally, they were able to bend it just enough. But still, they could not reach Charlie who, by now, was whimpering and had pleading eyes. That’s when the neighbor boy, around, I don’t know, 13 or 14 years old, he offered to go down head-first into the drain with his dad holding on to his legs. So, as the father lowered his son into the abyss, Sheila just kept saying to the boy as he reached for Charlie, "Oh, whatever you do, when you grab hold of my dog, don't let him go, even if he bites, scratches, claws, tries to escape your grip. Please, I’ll give you my kidney, just don't let him go!"
As Sheila shared that, I was relieved that it had a happy ending. Charlie was rescued. But, oh my, her comment sure did remind me of Jesus’ words in the Gospel. Because in John 6:37, he says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” In other words, I won’t let them go. I’ve got them in my grip. And I can just picture our Heavenly Father saying to his Son as Jesus was lowered into the abyss of this dark world, I mean, I could just picture the Father saying to him, “Whatever you do, don't let them go, even if they bite, scratch, claw, try to escape. Don't let them go!" And thankfully, we’ve got the promise that Jesus won’t. He’ll always hold us fast.
Oh, what a faithful God we have, the Father and the Son agreeing together to come and rescue us when we were utterly helpless to save ourselves. It reminds me of the song that goes, “When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; When the tempter would prevail, he can hold me fast! I could never keep my hold, he must hold me fast; For my love is often cold, he must hold me fast. He will hold me fast, he will hold me fast; for my Savior loves me so, he will hold me fast.” Those are good words today if you feel lost or out of reach. If you feel as though you have been sucked down a storm drain beyond the reach of help. Not so when you know God. Far more than that boy who saved Charlie, Christ will hold you fast.
© Joni and Friends