I am a Dog
My wife and I rescued nearly 2000 dogs over some 45 years. Dogs became a very important part of our lives.
My Mother lost her husband of 65 years some time back and she was left alone in a big empty house ... except for a little silver bundle of fur named Rolf. Rolf was their Mini Schnauzer. She and Rolf were constant companions. Then the pain happened. Rolf had to be put to sleep due to kidney failure. They had known and loved one another for the better part of 15 years. I held Rolf in my lap while the sleepy juice began to flow through his little body. Mother tearfully watched. Afterwards, she asked me why the Lord would give us such incredible little creatures to love .. only to take them from us all too soon. I agonized over an answer for ever so long and then I wrote the following:
I Am a Dog
I have consented to become a lifelong friend and companion to a human.
I am committed to following my Master with no hesitation and no reservations. Will you follow your Master so?
I will love my Master unconditionally. I will give Him undying devotion. Will you love your Master so?
I will seek the guidance of my Master in all aspects of my life. Will you do the same?
I will turn to my Master for all my worldly needs, believing in my heart that He will provide what is best for me. Will you do the same?
I will seek and welcome the bonding of spirits with my Master to better understand His purpose for me. Will you do the same?
I will place the decisions in my life squarely in the loving hands of my Master. When my time to leave comes, I will trust in Him to ease my passing. Will you do the same.
For me, a dog, this is an easy commitment. It is my nature. I can do no less. What of you?
I don't wear my spirituality on my sleeve, but it is clear to me that the Lord gives us these amazing creatures to teach us how to be .. well, human. If we lived and loved like our companions, we would be in a whole lot less trouble.
Comment
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Comment by Anna Morelli on November 22, 2014 at 1:58pm
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I think the truly wonderful thing here is that you and your wife rescued nearly 2000 dogs in over 45 years. Kudos to you and my greatest respect!!!!
For the rest, I certainly agree that animals have a lot to teach us, but not all fit the picture you paint ( nor should they ). Although in wild animals behavior is consistent and pretty predictable by those familiar with the species, in pet dogs humans have had a great hand in shaping their evolution. Many breeds, developed for specific purposes over a long period of time, do not necessarily fit your description... There are many breeds that are strong willed, independent dogs, some prone to fighting, some likely to roam, or dig their way to China, and on and on and on. I would not be mentioning this except that I have found that so many people just get dogs with the expectation that a good dog is a dog that will fit seamlessly in any lifestyle, take whatever a kid may dish out, and be the faithful companion they saw in Lassie type movies, which is one of the reasons there were 2000 dogs for you to rescue..... Some responsibility falls on breeders who breed dogs regardless of temperament and those who do a poor job, or no job at all, in educating and screening homes. When you add puppy mill breeders to the mix, you have even more dogs that have simply been bred to suit the demands and fads of the market ( see current designer dogs ), without any regard to either temperament or breed predispositions, simply to achieve a certain "look" and command a high price.
Most dogs have the potential to be wonderful companions in the right hands and given the proper circumstances where their basic emotional and physical needs are met, it is the humans that should take more time in figuring out what those needs are and be encouraged give up starry eyed ideas for more realistic and fruitful ones. I sincerely hope you do not take offense at my reply, as we both have the same love and respect for dogs in general and their amazing potential.
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Comment by Jane Christensen on November 21, 2014 at 8:55pm
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Beautiful!
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Comment by Abbey & Anne on November 21, 2014 at 4:40pm
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Amazing! I am still learning to be HUMAN....Abbey is a good teacher!
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