READY!

The last time I came close to a dog was in Aberdeen, but that was a “dawg,” not a “dog.” And there was a whole bunch of us dawgs there (another old story). This, however, was a real specimen of the species—the four- not two-legged variety.

One of our Dallas Seminary students is legally blind and so is accompanied by a seeing-eye dog, Largo. That brings me to the rather strange task I had to perform the other day. Largo, in some unknown manner, developed a laceration on one of his hind legs and needed sutures at the doggy ER. His blind owner, in order to avoid another trip to the vet, asked if I could take out the animal’s stitches a week later.

Hey, why not? If I can do humans, surely I could handle dogs? I promptly agreed, keen on doing a good deed, but not without a little trepidation. Would he sit still? What if the canine attacked me as I approached him with the tools of my trade? Visions of being mauled came to mind. I started having second thoughts. Unless I found favor in Largo’s eyes, I’d be in big trouble. And not knowing me from Adam, there was no reason why Largo would be kindly disposed to a guy with scissors working on his leg. I worried that Largo would get irate allegro.

But my fears were unfounded. When I first touched his left hind leg, now healing well, he moved a bit, but then, surprisingly, sat down, and became calm immediately. He seemed to know I was trying to help him. The rest of the brief surgical undertaking went like a charm. Largo sniffed his thanks, looking at me with his big brown eyes.

And so there I was, degrees and all, implements and all, crouching on the floor in the office of the Department of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Seminary, removing stitches from … a dog!

The things you have to do in Seminary! Life, I tell you, is full of surprises. But you gotta be ready. Always ready!

And so it is also in the Lord’s service.

… preach the word;
be ready in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort,
with great patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2

Always ready. And this ain’t no idle command. It is a formal call to responsibility for proclamation—to be ready always—that Paul prefaces with a sober, stern, stately adjuration.

I solemnly charge you in the presence
of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead,
and by His appearing
and His kingdom:
preach the word ….
2 Timothy 4:1–2

This is a serious task for which we must be ready. Always. Whether convenient or not. Whether circumstances are auspicious or not. Whether the occasion is favorable or not.

Always ready! To talk about God anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Not that we should jump in insensitively or indiscriminatingly, tastelessly or tactlessly. But that we should be ready.

Readied by prayer. Readied by a spiritual life. Readied eyes and readied ears awaiting a God-given opportunity. Ready to throw the word “God” into a conversation. Ready to steer a chat towards spiritual issues: Gosh, is there any real security in the world these days? Readied by the power of God.

We proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and
teaching every man with all wisdom,
so that we may present every man
complete in Christ.
For this purpose also I labor,
striving according to His power,
which mightily works within me.
Colossians 1:28–29

Always ready!