Today’s Word from Reverend Dave…
I’m a dog person. I always have been. I don’t have anything against cats. I don’t hate them or their humans. In fact, I have loved some really great cats in my life. But I am at heart a dog person. So cat people, please do not take offense to what I write here. I actually invite a cat person to respond with your own version.
As a dog person, I have learned some really important things over the years. I have learned the importance of rest. When I am tired, or bored, or full, or stressed out, I should lay my head down on my favorite pillow or lap and just rest. If I fall into a deep sleep, all the better. If not, at least my heartrate slows down and life slows down.
I have also learned the importance of loyalty and trust. If I have built a relationship with and around you, I should be able to trust you and be loyal to you. I do believe that dogs have an extra sense that we humans seem to lack. Or maybe we just don’t pay attention to it as well. Either way, I have learned that if my dog doesn’t trust someone, I should not either. But I relish the fact that I have a creature that is totally loyal to me.
Dogs have always reminded me to enjoy life. I have watched dogs take the same walk day after day and find something new and exciting each time they go out. I have also watched the excitement on a face when they find out that they too get to ride in the car and are not being left at home. I have had a gentle paw on my knee or a nudge of nose against my leg reminding me it is time to get up from my desk and get some fresh air. I have watched as dogs lift their noses high into the air to sniff new experiences on the wind and wonder what kinds of tales they are hearing. And I have watched in delight as they chase each other, or balls, or sticks, or even their own tails in endless games of joy.
Dogs have reminded me to live each day to its fullest, because life is short. Life is generally shorter for a dog, so it is important for them to learn to love sooner and chew more marrow out of the bone of life while they can. And when it comes to the end, I have found that a dog will look at me with all the love one heart and one pair of eyes can hold and say “Thank you for loving me, and thank you for letting me go.” Those have been the hardest days of my life so far, but also the most blessed.
I don’t know if you have been blessed with a canine companion in your life, but as I write this with Cooper curled up against my leg, I feel that there is no better reminder of the love the Creator has for humans than the day the wolf-dog first wandered into a camp, wagged its tail, and let the humans know it had chosen them as its family. It may sound like blasphemy since for us, as Christians, Jesus is the best example of God’s love, but I am quite sure Jesus had a dog in Nazareth that taught him the importance of love, life, and loyalty.
In wagging love,
Pastor Dave
