We Don’t Deserve Dogs
I’m convinced we don’t.
If you’re like me and you’re a dog Mom or Dad, you know how attached they get to you and vice versa. It’s hard not to love their bundles of energy and overall their company. You understand that they become family. (If you don’t care for dogs, just keep reading anyway.)
The same can be true for a cat, a horse, or other animal that you invest in. The love the animal gives back often goes unnoticed. Animals can sense when something is going on with their owner. They can be trained to sniff out physical conditions, find a missing person, prevent or aid in relief from panic attacks, and even alert an owner about low blood sugar. It’s incredible what they can do and just how smart they are.
I witnessed this love in a real way not long ago. I watched a sick man at the hospital, break down in sobbing tears while holding his sweet dog. The dog settled calmly into his lap and gently licked the man’s arm. Never rushing to move, and not once distracted by others coming and going, or wanting to get down. A family member had brought the dog to the hospital and this man was desperate to have his sweet dog close. He was so sick and so weak and wanted the comfort his four-legged friend could provide.
As I watched this experience with tears in my eyes, I couldn’t help but think how true it is that we don’t deserve dogs. The bond between the two was strong. As I watched the tears fall from this man’s face, I also saw him relax. He took in deeper, more relaxed breaths and you could glimpse a sense of calmness overtake him. Time stood still for those precious moments. All was well as the two were together.
According to the Mayo Clinic, dogs are beneficial for both our physical and mental health. Dogs keep us moving and increase our physical health. Caring for them requires routine and responsibility. Having a dog lowers social isolation which can improve overall cardiac health and mental clarity.
The unconditional love they provide is something I wish could last a lifetime. I’m thankful for my furbaby, Lilly, and other fur babies our family has loved through the years. I’m sure you are too, as you think about the love they bring. May we choose to be thankful for our four-legged friends and cherish the love they bring today. May we be brave enough to extend that love to others. Our world needs unconditional love like no other.
And here’s a photo of my fur baby to thank you for sticking with me this long.
Philippians 1: 9-11, NLT
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
