Excerpt

Please note in the book the name of Jesus’s dog is Shomer (which means” protector” in Hebrew). Jesus simply called him Sho for short. Excerpt from Chapter: Walking on Water

Jesus continued healing the sick and giving words of comfort to the crowd, although it was difficult emotionally for him to keep his composure. But he found helping the people kept his mind away from the bad news of John (everyone just learned of the beheading of John the Baptist). Jesus had the disciples get into a boat that was nearby. He felt it would be good for Sho to go along with the disciples as they too were visibly upset concerning the news of John. Would they and Jesus be next, many of them were thinking to themselves. Anyway, Jesus thought, it would be a great way for them to get to know Sho a little better and it would also be a way for Sho to learn something about each of them. As they cast off in the boat, Jesus separated himself from the crowd and went up into the hills to pray.

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch (about 3 am) of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”  Peter answered him and said, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.” He said, “Come!

When Sho heard the command “come” from Jesus he immediately, without thinking, jumped from the boat and skipped over the surface of the water toward Jesus some fifty feet away. Jesus whistled in his special shrill they had perfected over the years and Sho glided over the top of the water as if he had wings, then about five feet from Jesus he leapt  into his outstretched arms. The disciples could not believe their eyes at what they had just witnessed. Seeing this…

Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus, holding onto Sho with one hand, stretched out his other hand, took hold of Peter, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”

Jesus shook his head and admonished his disciples and said, “How is it the faith of a dog can exceed the faith of a man?” And Jesus was disappointed in the twelve, but he was never as proud of Sho as he was at that moment. Sho had shown them, through action, what the power of the mind and an unbridled faith can achieve. Jesus put his arms around the dry coat of Sho and pointed at the water-soaked Peter and burst into laughter. Almost immediately the rest joined Jesus and began poking fun at Peter, each disciple secretly glad it was not he whom Jesus was having fun with.