Dogs of Our Lives

DEVOTIONAL FOR APRIL 14, 2011

 

“I promise: I will walk her, feed her, wash her, and take care of everything she needs, Mom, please?” my 11 year old daughter pleaded with big round eyes. There was already one older large dog in our house and an 18 month old Rottweiler would be a rambunctious addition. I also knew I was just another in a long line of parents who had heard those same promises.

That dog went everywhere I went. If I was cooking, she was under my feet. Even when I left the room for a few seconds, she followed to keep her eyes on me. There are now 2 gray hairs on our dog’s neck. Her thick black fur is still shiny but a few more gray hairs on her snout and a couple of gray eyebrow hairs have me thinking: what is happening to my baby girl? She still runs and plays like a youngster, occasionally. But she gets up and down more slowly. She looks to see why I’m calling her before she disturbs herself. She’s 9 now, young for a child, a bit older for a dog. Sienna is quite a spritely 63 year old if we count her in dog years A few pounds crept on her frame over the winter. My reaction to her aging process: pampering. I give her more treats. Pet her more often. Make sure her beds are vacuumed. When she whines I look to see what’s up. What does she need? What is she looking for? I still get impatient. I snap at her, telling her to go lie down when she whines at the door to go outside for the fifth time in a row - so she can sniff the air, bark at a squirrel, and let the neighborhood know she’s on guard- all in 60 second rotations.

She’s watching right now, as she lies near me. Looking for someone she loves to come up those stairs so that she can greet them with joy and hind end wagging. My husband would remind me she’s a dog - not a person - but he can’t trick me. He’s just as likely to lie on the floor and talk to her as he scratches her tummy as he is to tell me to stop spoiling her.

I have stepped on her, tripped over her, shut the door on her snout and yet she still loves me. Not just a please feed me kind of love. She has a “I will follow you everywhere you go” kind of devotion. I believe God made dogs for our pleasure and comfort. They are often living examples of love and loyalty. It’s amazing how God can use anything in our lives, including our pets, to teach us values that He holds dear.

Proverbs 3:4-12 (The Message)

Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.

Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.

Earn a reputation for living well

in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

It's the child he loves that GOD corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

How can I tie love and loyalty around my neck?

• Is it by choosing to accept others as the imperfect struggling
beings that they are?

• If I let go of my expectations will I be releasing the power
that disappointment has over me?

• Will forgiving people remove the burden of pain and rejection
from my shoulders?

Dear Father!

I cannot figure this out. What I begin to understand I know I cannot do on my own. Please God, help me to hold on to love and loyalty. Please cleanse me from all unrighteousness: those habits, thoughts, and routines that keep me from living in the fullness of truly accepting Your unconditional love and forgiveness. I do not mean to resist or resent your discipline - I know that You love me and want the best for me. Please help me to accept Your correction and begin to walk in the Truth you are showing me.

In Jesus name, Amen

Written by Mary M. Wilkins