Candy the Rescue Dog: A Revelation of God’s Love and Guidance

By Deborah Anne Wills

Does the routine of everyday living make you wonder if God truly sees and cares for you as an individual? You may grasp in theory that God loves all humanity, yet doubt His personal attentiveness to the details of your ordinary life.

In this book, Deborah shares profound moments when God intimately connected with her, reaching into the depths of her heart to communicate His unconditional love. His method to convey this timeless message? An anxiety-ridden rescue dog named Candy.

God knew this lovable canine mischief-maker would be the perfect instrument to reinforce Deborah’s inherent worth and value. Through humorous stories of Candy’s antics and the ensuing spiritual insights, Deborah unveils how God used an unwanted dog to powerfully transform her perspective.

These engaging true stories serve as encouragement for anyone longing to understand God’s complete, unquestionable love for them. Deborah reveals how intricately God orchestrates moments of divine connection for those who seek Him amidst the backdrop of routine. Her poignant reflections highlight how the Creator actively pursues intimate relationships with His beloved children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035842414

Deborah Anne Wills

Deborah Wills (née Eland) was born in 1960 in the city of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The family moved to a dairy farm south of Gympie in 1970, where her spirit of adventure began to take hold. Riding her horse or roaming the pastures on foot became favourite pastimes. The family relocated to Brisbane in time for Deborah to commence her High School Education, during which she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. After leaving Pine Rivers State High School in 1977, Deborah went on to study Dentistry at the University of Queensland while continuing her love for Tap, Jazz, and Ballet dancing. In 1982, she graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Science and a Teacher’s Diploma in Tap Dancing. Deborah met her husband Paul Wills through the youth group at church. They married in 1983 and now have four wonderful daughters and four precious grandsons. These days, her life is that of a wife, mother, grandmother, cook, gardener, landscaper, and stock controller extraordinaire! Her favourite activities include line dancing, sewing, bird photography, and Mahjong.

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About the Author

Deborah Wills (née Eland) was born in 1960 in the city of Ipswich, Queensland,Australia. The family moved to a dairy farm south of Gympie in 1970, where herspirit of adventure began to take hold. Riding her horse or roaming the pastureson foot became favourite pastimes. The family relocated to Brisbane in time forDeborah to commence her High School Education, during which she acceptedJesus as her Lord and Saviour.

After leaving Pine Rivers State High School in 1977, Deborah went on to studyDentistry at the University of Queensland while continuing her love for Tap, Jazz,and Ballet dancing. In 1982, she graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Scienceand a Teacher’s Diploma in Tap Dancing.

Deborah met her husband Paul Wills through the youth group at church. Theymarried in 1983 and now have four wonderful daughters and four preciousgrandsons. These days, her life is that of a wife, mother, grandmother, cook,gardener, landscaper, and stock controller extraordinaire! Her favourite activitiesinclude line dancing, sewing, bird photography, and Mahjong.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family.

Copyright Information ©

Deborah Anne Wills 2024

The right of Deborah Anne Wills to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of the author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035842407 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035842414 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

20240426

Acknowledgements

Thanks be to my Lord Jesus Christ without whom this book would not exist. Authoring a book was never on my so-called ‘Bucket List’!

After receiving the revelation of God’s infallible love, my mind was constantly filled with the words, Write a Book about it! The prompting words consistently plagued my mind.

The chore of writing a book seemed almost ludicrous! Even if I somehow managed to transcribe all of God’s lessons in my heart into the written word, what then? The possibility of publishment seemed as remote as some of the cattle properties visited on my travelling adventures. It was only through my heart’s desire to be obedient to God’s will that the mission was even commenced.

Like the biblical Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, I felt totally unqualified to attempt the journey God was asking me to undertake. As God was with Moses those forty years wandering in the desert, I too felt His presence throughout the whole process. There were times I felt like giving up; the road seemed too long and hard. At these times, God always came through with inspirations and timely encouragement through daily devotions and people.

As Moses was assisted by Aaron for his God-given mission, I too was in desperate need of help. God thankfully brought Francesca Kibria, a writer, into my life. Her excitement about the task that lay before me and ongoing encouragement included a desperately needed crash course in how to write. I am sincerely thankful for her tuition and expertise.

Much appreciation and thanks also go to my friends, Paddy Hoffer and Donna Martin. These two wonderful ladies came to my aid when I was looking for honest feedback on the so-called ‘finished manuscript’. Both subsequently encouraged me to seek publishment, suggesting that the book should come with a warning that many tissues may be required.

Having worked on my project largely in secret, my family were astonished that my God-given mission had resulted in a finished manuscript. The fact that a publisher was interested in the story was a double surprise for all. Suddenly, there were more willing editors. Thanks, and love to them all for their attention to detail, helpful suggestions and support.

Finally, I must express my deep gratitude to Austin Macauley Publishers. If it were not for their openness in accepting submissions from a first-time writer, the manuscript may well have just sat on the hard drive of my computer. Their enthusiasm and willingness to publish my story have made it possible for the valuable lessons I have learnt to reach many more people. We all need to know how completely our Heavenly Father treasures each one of us. Thank you, Austin Macauley Publishers, for your expertise and support in making this book a reality.

Psalms 102:18

This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

King James Version (KJV)

Candy the Rescue Dog

A Revelation of God’s Love and Guidance.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:18–19 World English Bible

Introduction

It took adopting a small rescue dog to finally reveal something that 60 years of living had not. That is a lot of years spent not fully understanding the true nature of God’s unconditional love. Over forty years of attending church had given me ‘head’ knowledge but not the ‘heart’ knowledge of His love. There is a difference, and that difference is profound.

I was wandering along the paths of the river near our home after Candy’s sudden passing. It was a place where we both enjoyed walking and exploring. Memories and thoughts came flooding through my mind. I recalled how much Candy loved an outing and an adventure. Those adventures were usually spent with a member of her human family. Other times, Candy would choose to go ‘solo’ after one of her infamous escapes. Meandering along, I reflected on how Candy was extremely attached to me. She loved sitting on my lap, or anybody else’s for that matter, and just wanted to be with me all the time. Reflecting on these thoughts, I felt God convey the following words.

Candy is a representation of my love for you. As Candy desired to be with you and thought you were special, so do I. Come have adventures with me.

In the Christian walk of life, we are taught from an early age through word and song that Jesus loves us. Many people may grapple with God’s concept of ‘Love’. Often, they can only relate to their own experience of love in this imperfect world and through the people in it. That is unless God steps in and reveals the extent of His love for each one of us on a personal level. This revelation can make all the difference in our own personal relationship with God. Even those gifted people who can show immense love towards others fall short of God’s unconditional and infinite love for us.

I have shed many tears at the loss of my little, faithful, devoted friend. However, I am also deeply moved because, through this loss, I have come to know how much our Heavenly Father loves me personally. He loves me just as I am, and desires to be a part of my life. There is now a realisation that God longingly desires to spend time developing a relationship with me and for me to desire the connection as well.

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

King James Version (KJV)

Finding a Friend

…for your father knows what things you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:8 World English Bible

It had been a couple of years since the passing of our last little doggy friend, Chillies the Chihuahua. Like many people, we needed to make the upsetting choice to relieve her suffering from a deteriorating heart murmur. A couple of years prior to Chillie’s passing, we had experienced the same sad moment with her partner in crime, Burrito. I say, ‘partner in crime’, as I suspect these two mischief makers acquired their heart problems from sneakily stealing and eating a whole family block of chocolate out of my mother’s handbag. Later in the day, we found the missing chocolate wrapper in a mangled mess in the backyard!

Having previously made end-of-life decisions for two beloved doggie friends, another dog was not part of our future plans. There was absolutely no desire to go through that heart-wrenching experience again. Our four daughters were adults now, and we were looking forward to more freedom in our lives as well as possibly travelling. Considering these two things, my husband Paul and I made the decision not to have another pet.

Then surprisingly, I once again had notions of experiencing the joys and companionship of owning another dog. Perhaps, if