The Reluctant Rescued

Who would have thought it!? Surely butter wouldn't melt in the mouth of this little dog? Yet, a similar Bichon Frise was the subject of a recent BBC 2 documentary about the amazing work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the UK, called 'Saving Lives at Sea'. The poor dog was on a walk with its owner when it ventured too close to the cliff edge and fell 40 metres to an inaccessible beach below. The owner was distraught and immediately determined to climb down, putting his own life at risk. Thankfully, a bystander convinced him otherwise, and called for the emergency services.

Now my international readers may not understand the mindset of a British volunteer lifeboat crew who would put their own lives at risk to rescue a dog. They set out to do so for several reasons, among them the love of animals, but also in the knowledge that if someone did not help it the owner might do themselves harm, or even die in the attempt. Their self-sacrificing act speaks volumes to me of human kindness and mercy, and is a reflection of God's grace too.

What followed was a sight to behold, because the team managed to get onto the cliff bottom only with great difficulty and finally locate the stranded animal - who didn't want to have anything to do with them! The scenes that followed were amazing - well meaning grown men trying to coax a tiny dog into a salvage bag while the beastie growled and tried to bite them like a tiger! Thankfully, despite risking a finger or two, the team managed to subdue and get it into the bag, onto their boat and back to the grateful owners. They could not believe the little canine had been so aggressive, and he was back to his usual loving self within seconds, even licking the lifeboat men's hands.

All of this made me reflect about how I treat the grace of God myself. He only comes to rescue me from my own misdemeanours and mistakes, yet so often I am equally reluctant to trust him. Of course I realise that the poor animal was shocked from the fall and terrified by the appearance of bright yellow coated and helmeted beings looking like aliens! But God's grace does not always reach us in ways that we can easily recognise. In fact, some of his rescue missions can appear very alien to the world we normally inhabit.

As a dog lover I was so relieved that the team managed to overcome the animal's resistance to be rescued and get him home. I hope that the next time I require God's mercy (and I think that will probably be today) I will receive it a bit more willingly than our little furry friend did!