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A Dog’s Perspective
Be the person your Dog thinks you are.
Bumper Sticker
I was stuck in traffic one day and, on the vehicle in front of me, this bumper sticker was staring at me almost like an indictment. As sirens rang out and I realized I might be there for quite a while, I began to ruminate on the message of this bumper sticker, even though I have not owned a dog since I left my parents’ home many, many years ago. (Some other time, I might write about my childhood pet, Cocoa “The Superdog,” and my belief that no four-legged canine could ever come close to her brilliance and devotion.)
If I had a dog, what kind of person would that dog think I am? Most dogs are so delighted to see their owner and, even if they have been left at home alone all day, are quite forgiving as they show absolute delight in their owners’ presence. While there might be reason to scold our dogs, they are quick to show remorse and begin to demonstrate signs of asking forgiveness and seeking out the reassurance of the love they know their owners have for them. Most dog owners are diligent in the care of their dogs, ensuring they are well-fed, clean and have plenty of exercise or outdoor time. So, dogs know they can depend upon their owners and, in turn, lavish the same attentive care upon them in response. They are dependable watchdogs and companions while their owners demonstrate that same dependability of love and care. Do we treat others as well as we treat our dog?
Too often, reflecting upon my day as I near its end, I cringe at something I’ve said or done which does not bring honor to God or to the person God has called me to be – still – after decades of following Jesus and leading others into a deeper walk with Christ. I, as Paul writes of himself in Romans 7:15, “...do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Perhaps that’s just me.
Yet, I would imagine that deep in our hearts, most of us would like to be better people and that is hard to do on our own. That is when we seek the grace of God to grow more into the likeness of Christ, participating in that good work of our God within us, so that we reflect that light and love to others … including our dogs! Growth requires both grace and our intention.
Let us pray:
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
[1] “The Book of Common Prayer,” Collect for the Human Family, p. 815.
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