Lord I Need A Pyrenees! …Hello to my weekend readers. After 10 glorious days up in Ridgway, Colorado, I am still on that “Rocky Mountain high” (that’s not cannabis)! Just the joys of the mountains and the creation we walked through, drove up on to, and often wondered if we would fall off the mountains, were incredible. Talus slopes are tough; if you start sliding—ugh. Al is a great driver on these rocky roads and I hold on (for life!) yet I loved the scenery as well.

We also encountered Basque Shepherds whose flocks were way high up on the mountain meadows. Many of these shepherds immigrated from Spain and France and are welcomed to the USA. Shepherds are taunted and despised in their countries, how sad is that. We need the Basque shepherds and their sheep because we need them on the meadows! Why? They help maintain the grass and contribute to the health of the land in several ways. They are natural grazers that keep the grass short and maintain the country aesthetic of meadows. They provide fertilizer for the land and they are great pest control. Sheep eat weeds and pest-plants, reducing the need for herbicides and chemical fertilizers—and there’s more, read on.

Behind that cute, wooly face is a utility that is very multi-faceted; providing wool, meat, milk, and other products for our world. Not only do sheep provide us with food and clothing, but they have a large economic impact as well. Growing up in northern Wisconsin with very cold winters, the wool from sheep kept us warm with lined boots and jackets, hats and gloves. They are coveted for the clothing companies. And, feeder lambs are awesome therapy animals for children and adults in hospice.

When we would drive by the sheep up in Colorado—thousands of them, I wondered who could count them all and keep them safe from the many predators up there. Obviously, the shepherd is on duty all the time, but they also have something amazing—the Great Pyrenees dogs. Al and I were amazed at their size, and how they gently yet forcefully moved and corralled the sheep. You could sense the sheep trusted them. We learned that a Pyrenees can take down a cougar or a bear in no time-wow! The dog is also a protector for the shepherd (and his/her family).

Many people have Pyrenees for their cattle and goats and their kids as well. These dogs are friendly yet protective. They can smell danger in no time and they will herd their animals and their peoples to safety. For the Basque, the ranchers and homeowners, this dog is a gift from God! Great Pyrenees are often called “’Jesus dogs’ that keep watch over their loved ones.”

I love the way The Message Bible from Psalm 121:7-8, speaks about protection for us all:  “GOD guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always and forever.”    

No wonder when we spell ‘dog’ backwards it comes out ‘God’—and that is because God guards always and forever. God knows that evil is a reality in our world and God’s children are not immune to harm. Sometimes we glibly walk through life as if nothing can touch us but we also know that Satan is waiting to catch us, to find a way to hurt us and mostly a way to separate us from God. Hopefully we are smart enough to see his lies. And no doubt, we should exercise caution for our safety at home, work, in a crowd, etc. We certainly do not want to throw out the common-sense God has given us (yet we do, don’t we?).

In closing, trusting Jesus for our safety is paramount for our lives. We never have to worry that Jesus is not on the job! He watches over us, gives us courage when needed, and gives us the strength to get through our fears that can so easily tie us up in knots! When you are afraid, you have your Great Pyrenees right next to you—his name is Jesus and nothing can compare to how our Savior will always guard us 24/7! AMEN.