What Kids and Pets Teach

                 The Dalmatian peers in through the glass door and rises up on her hind legs. “Can the little boy come out to play?” she seems to ask. Just now, she gets the grumpy old man. I’m time pressed. Must write this article, work on my lessons. “Go away,” I growl as I lift her off my lap and back into the yard.

                 My poor pets never know which part of me they’re going to encounter. The cat saw my “daddy” side when I caught him sharpening his claws on the loveseat. He promptly fled to the glass door, where I ushered him outside. Smart cat. Too smart for his own good. Sneaky and devious, he simply waited at the back door an hour later when I opened it to go outside. Furtively, he twisted around the door jamb and stole back inside, ignoring my baleful glance.

At middle age, we wear our “adult” faces. Time is precious. Scripture tells us to “redeem the time, because the days are evil.” –Ephesians 5:16. Childishness is reserved for children. Adults need to, well—act like adults. Show some maturity; control your anger. Be tolerant. Compromise when needed. Act for the greater good, sacrifice for the family, that sort of thing. Proverbs 24:27 says “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” Proverbs 24: 30-34 relates the account of the lazy man whose farm had grown into disrepair, covered with weeds and thorns. It’s necessary to be busy, life requires hard work.

However, sometimes it’s time for the little boy to come out and play. Sometimes I let him out. It’s good to throw a ball, toss a Frisbee, or romp with the Dalmatian in the back yard. “Eat honey,” adds the wise man. “It’s good.” –Proverbs 24:13. He praises the merry heart: “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Also, “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”—Proverbs 15:13, 15. The Wisdom Literature testifies that laughter is indeed the best medicine: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” –Proverbs 17:22. Children have merry hearts. That’s why Jesus reminded the disciples to become child-like in order to enter the kingdom. Child-like humility unlocks the door to the kingdom of heaven. Childlike happiness makes the church-house a place of healing. I often watch little children turning cartwheels as they enter the church-house. That must have been what the Psalmist meant when he said “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”—Psalm 122:1. It’s good to let the little child in you come out to play once in a while. Does your heart good, too.

(By the way, I don’t have any pets at present. This is an article I wrote that needed a repeat. I plan to get a dog soon. Cats, no. I’m allergic, and my daughter no longer lives with me.)

The Friendly Sheriff

The local sheriff who bounded down the hill to greet us seemed friendly enough. His sudden presence was somewhat startling, as sudden encounters with sheriffs tend to be. He had broad shoulders, a thick neck and flashing white teeth. His ears and tail perked up when he saw us and I was a little concerned about his intentions. Did I mention he was a Collie/Shepherd mix? He came down to check us out on our evening walk, my two small dogs, a Pekinese, Shih-Tzu and I. “Y’all just out passing through, are you?” He seemed to say. “Well, just mind your p’s and q’s and you’ll be all right here. Y’all be careful now, you hear?” I tipped my hat to the canine sheriff and made my way around the block. As confident as he was, he almost hid the fact that he was lacking his left front leg, gone at the shoulder. He was obviously a well-loved and well cared for dog. He sported a nice collar and looked clean and well groomed. I don’t think he knew he was disabled, and should have been pitied.

He was not only a sheriff, but a teacher, the 3-legged dog. He illustrated a principle found in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” (ESV). God gave us all a spirit of resilience. We don’t hunker down in fear when hardship comes. We face it as the sheriff-collie did, with head held high, ears perked up and eyes bright and alert. Troubles come into our lives like powerful storms. When the storm is over, we step out into the street and in love, look for others to help. In power, we draw on God’s spirit to strengthen our hands to help and rebuild, just as did the Jews in Zechariah 4:6 did. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.” Instead of obsessing over what we have lost, we consider the next thing we should do, and form a plan of action.

Piece by piece, brick by brick, we rebuild our shattered lives, with the Master’s guidance. We work together as a community, because that’s what the church does. We work toward recovery and abundant living, as Jesus promised “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” –John 10:10b. Scripture is often illustrated by nature, such as by 3-legged dogs. Learn from it, and live well