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by Shea G. Shrader (Author)
Since I was a child, I have been captivated by animals. Like many kids, I once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian-until I discovered you had to pass biology. That dream quickly pivoted into hotel and restaurant management because working was equal to studying, but my love for animals never faded.
Growing up, animals were everywhere in my life. I helped manage a horse farm with Tennessee Walking Horses and beef cattle. I kept aquariums, hamsters, and just about any creature I could safely bring home. I even caught a cat once-but let's keep that between us since we all know they are atheists.
Of all animals, dogs captured my heart early. I got my first dog around the age of five while living near a convenience store my parents ran, right at the crossroads of several active coal mines. With coal trucks roaring by day and night, that poor dog-sadly named Bubby-had a life shorter than a cicada's summer song. Still, I remember that dog vividly. My fascination had only begun.
My love for dogs was strengthened by my family roots. My grandfather Jim was a true houndsman. He lived for coon hunting and squirrel hunting, and during hunting season there were few days he wasn't in the woods. Sometimes he hunted so hard it wore everyone else out. My grandmother learned to live as a widow long before he passed away with his hunting habits.
One night, when I was about twelve or thirteen, I went coon hunting with him. Back then, as a kid you carried a heavy metal flashlight, and if the bulb lasted two hunts after dropping and beating it around you were doing well. I remember when the dogs treed, and my grandfather shouted, "Let's go!" He took off with such enthusiasm that he seemed to forget he had a grandson tagging along behind him.
There are two things I remember most about my grandfather: he loved hounds, and he loved God even more. That's a good legacy to inherit.
Life has a way of pressing us, shaping us, and exposing what truly matters. Through hardship and consequence, God began drawing me to Himself. When I received the gift of salvation, I found myself searching for God in every corner of life. He has a way of teaching through everyday things, and for me, many of those lessons came through dogs.
God has always delighted in using simple things to confound the wise, and whether it's through dogs or the everyday moments we often overlook, Scripture keeps revealing His character in every corner of our lives. That's why each week you'll find stories here that hopefully uplift your spirit and exalt the name of Christ in the ordinary. And if no one has told you lately-He is living and active in your everyday life.
