Don't Ask for Just a Few

We are off to an agility trial today. I hope it goes well. High school has really cut into Asherel's practice schedule. Honeybun is excited though. Agility trials always mean lots of snacks. And I am excited because I love being around all those dogs. It also involves a lot of sitting and watching. That will be a welcome break from yesterday.

Yesterday, I put out 200 flyers all over our neighborhood for our biannual Hollow Creek Farm dogfood drive this Sunday. Our neighborhood is very generous, and I usually collect 2-300 pounds of dog food. That feeds the Hollow Creek Dogs for about a week, but every little bit helps....

Anyway, it was colder than I expected and so I was frozen as I stuffed the flyers in the mailbox flag section. I wanted to stop long before my 200 flyers were gone, but I kept thinking of the Bible story where the widow was told to collect empty jars. Elisha told her, "Collect not a few." She collected many, and when she brought them back to her home, they miraculously filled with oil, and her needs were supplied. If she had stopped when she had just a few, she would not have been as blessed. So I wanted to make sure every mailbox got a flyer.

However, I failed. I missed one mailbox. The reason I missed that one mailbox is somewhat ironic. There was a loose dog sleeping by the mailbox. I slowly approached the mailbox, overcoming my concern that the loose dog might not be nice. As I came close and slowly reached up to wedge the flyer in the flag, the dog opened an eye and growled. So I slowly retreated. It was the only house in the whole neighborhood that didn't get a flyer.

I was tempted to skip the houses that have never donated dogfood. But I didn't. I decided maybe this year, they will be happy to donate. I should give them the opportunity...you never know. If the widow hadn't collected so many jars, she might not have had enough oil to last. And the mailbox I skip might be the very person who loves dogs with all his heart, and was wondering what he could do to help save a few discarded ones.

I might have to sneak back when that one mailbox isn't being guarded....

2 Kings 4:2-7 (NIV)
Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
[4] Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” [5] She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. [6] When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. [7] She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”






-save a dog- hollowcreekfarm.org