Lessons I Learned From My Dog
On June 28, 2010, we lost our good friend Sammy, our black Labrador Retriever. While no pet will ever take the place of human companionship, Sammy truly was the definition of "man's best friend". We will indeed miss him--we already do.
I was thinking the night he died about how his life was a lesson in how Christians should live. I have compiled seven different qualities that Sammy shared with us, and I think that you will see that they are fine qualities that any Christian should display.
Loyalty
Sammy always looked forward to sharing my extra chunky peanut butter sandwich with me. He would give me the eyes that were "begging eyes". I chuckle about it now. However, on one particular occasion I made a peanut butter sandwich and was going to share it with him, but it was time for Turtle to go to bed. Turtle said "Come on stupid, time for bed". Sammy walked right behind his master, looking back at me with this look like "I'd like some sandwich, but Master calls and I gotta go!" The only thing greater than his appetite for peanut butter sandwiches was his loyalty to his master, Turtle.
2 Sam 23:15-16a
15 And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
16a So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. NKJV
David just mentioned that he wanted a drink from the well from Bethlehem, and three of his loyal soldiers went and got it at great peril to them. David would not drink the water, because of blood shed by the "mighty men" in getting it. But just at the mention of a simple want, his men were willing to risk great peril for David.
God greatly values loyalty. Loyalty is at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus was loyal to God the Father in that he kept each and every law and commandment. He was loyal in going to the cross for us. Many men, women and children have lost their lives because of their loyalty to Jesus Christ. All of the apostles with the exception of John died martyr's deaths. John himself was the most loyal of all of the disciples, and was the only one at the cross when Jesus poured out his blood for us.
How loyal are you to Christ? What are you willing to give up for Him? Are you willing to give up that Sunday morning late rise to go to church? To help a brother in Christ when he needs a helping hand? Just remember that when you do a good deed for another Christian, it is the same as if you are doing it for Jesus.
Unconditional Love
Sammy sure was a lovable dog. But he sure did show his love toward us too. Sometimes one of us would come home in a bad mood and maybe growl at Sammy (pardon the pun!). Sammy might leave us be for a little while, but soon he would come wagging his tail and wanting a pat on the head. You just couldn't stay mad at Sammy, and he always showed you he loved you no matter what kind of mood you were in. But the love that God shows is greater in capacity and depth than any animal or human for that matter.
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. NKJV
God loved us so much, that He not only forgave us, but made us one of His kids. We know God through Jesus Christ because of the love God has for us.
Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV
Jesus loved us, and He so looked forward to being with us forever that He bore the shame and agony of the cross. Not just physical pain and suffering, but the spiritual separation from God that He endured just so we could be with Him. What manner of love that is!
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NKJV
This verse shows us how much God the Father loves us. Unconditional love, agape love, is a love for the unlovable. The verse above, Romans 5:8, shows us one giant point--that God saves us out of the cesspool of sin.
We are not to "clean ourselves up" and make ourselves presentable to God but instead God saves us "while we were still sinners". That is unconditional love. That is grace, unmerited favor. There is nothing that you can do to earn salvation, or to keep it. The love for God is so great that even on those days when things fall apart and we might even get angry with God, He forgives us--because of His great love for us!
Patience
Sammy sure was a patient dog. When we were gone during the day, he would most times lay on our bed not far from the window. He would look out that window, expecting our return.
Rom 12:10-13 NKJV
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
This passage is filled with wonderful, heart warming doctrine. But right in the middle of it, Paul exhorts us to be "patient in tribulation". Vine notes that this means "to bear patiently, endure". Folks, this quality is a gift from God.
I have heard it often said "God never gives you any more than you can handle". They would quote this verse:
1 Cor 10:13 NKJV
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Well, I would disagree with that. First, that is not what this verse says. It speaks of being TEMPTED beyond what you are able. This whole passage deals with temptation to evil, not to trials that the Christian would bear. God gives the Christian a "way of escape" so that you can bear it. An important point--don't ever say, as a Christian, that you can't help it that you fell to temptation. It is not something that just "happens" it is something you allow to happen.
I have known many fine Christians that have had more than they can handle and they fall under the strain. They key is to realize when you cannot handle it, and pray not for God to remove the trial but to give you the ability to bear it. Look at the story of Paul and the "thorn in the flesh" from 2 Corinthians. Paul asked three times that he be delivered from the condition, what ever it was. But God instead had him bear it, and bear it he did. In fact he was thankful for it.
Next time trouble comes your way, ask God for an extra measure of patience.
Comfort
One of my fondest memories of Sammy was when he was only about six months old. I was still not too fond of the idea of having Sammy as a house pet.
Kay and I had been married for 22 years, and never had a house pet. We had outside dogs, but we agreed we did not want the hassle of cleaning up "accidents", dog hair and having to take the dog out often. I just did not want the hassle. Kay had even been more vocal about it.
Well, Sammy was just a pup when we got him, and it was the first of April and was one of those cold entrances into spring. So we kept him inside, but I was firm in stating that he would go outside the first of June at the latest. It was still cold in May, and Sammy still was inside.
In the middle of May, I told our friend Brenda Briggs that Sammy would be outside the first of June. She told me with that southern twang "Now you know that Kay will never let you put that dog outside!". A week or so later, when confronted with putting Sammy outside, Kay responded with this: "But he's part of the family", and gave me some sad eyes. Those eyes have a way of melting my resolve to say the least. Sammy would stay IF he behaved himself!
Well, I happened to get a bad case of the flu in August. Wow, was I sick. I couldn't even get out of bed. And that whole time, Sammy laid on the bed with me, curled up in a ball next to me. He would not leave my side. I looked at him and said "You know, dog, you're all right."
One of the great features of the relationship we have with God is not that he removes hard times from us, but that He is right there in the midst of them. He comforts us in all our tribulation:
2 Cor 1:3-4 KJV
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
The word for comfort in the Koine Greek in this passage is parakaleo, which means "one that comes along side".
Another use of the word parakaleo is found in the words of Jesus Christ this passage:
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matt 5:4 KJV)
This passage from the beatitudes does not mean just that God comforts us in times of trial and tribulation. What it means, in context, is that when someone is broken because of their sin and come to faith, they are comforted in knowing that they have the forgiveness of God forever.Do you have that comfort that only God can give?
Companionship
One word that often comes up with a dog is "companion". Sammy sure was that. I really miss three things about Sammy. One is those naps that we would share, and he would nap with me when I work midnight shift. Another is when it was just Sammy and me at home, I would sing to him, tell him bad jokes (he never said how bad my jokes were!) and would use some really bad puns on him. Lastly, I started being very diligent about going on a daily walk, and he was real company on those walks.
Eccl 4:9-12 NKJV
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
The Solomon speaks in this passage about the value of a friend. In verse nine, we see that you get more work done. In fact, often you can get more than double the work done when there are two people that are "tuned in" with each other.
Verse ten speaks of both the benefit of companionship, but also of the tragedy of not having a good friend, a companion. This is yet another reason for the Christian to be in church (yes, here I go again!). When we have problems in our lives, God gives us brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us back up when we fall.
Verse 11 speaks from a practical point of view, but also a spiritual point of view. Kay and I are on the opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to our sensitivity to heat and cold. I can be burning up, and she is freezing! But when she is cold, she can snuggle up next to me and warm up. Likewise, with those that are in a cold spiritual state, feeling isolated, another Christian can "warm them up" with a bright attitude and the love of God through Jesus Christ.
The church environment is also displayed in a sense in verse 12. While the primary thought is one of friendship and companionship, the church is a bastion of strength to the believer. With the power of the world upon us, how can we stand alone? We can meet with other believers, and draw strength from them.
Find a good Christian companion or close friend. My wife Kay has a good Christian friend at work, Nita, and they talk quite a bit about matters of faith. What is remarkable is that she is still a young Christian, but has grown so much. It is wonderful that God has provided Kay and Nita with each other in friendship.
Be a companion to other Christians, and seek Christian companions as well.
The Listener
Sammy would listen to me. I would tell him jokes, really bad puns and even sing songs to him. Did he really understand? Of course not, at least not most of the time! If he did, he would have walked away at some of my jokes. But he sure did act like he was listening. His penetrating eyes would just be fixed on one of us when we talked to him.
Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! KJV
We are told in Psalm 46:10 to "be still". Elijah heard in God's "still small voice", but he had to listen for it. How often do we just take time to listen to God? How often do we just stop and be still? I do admit that I try to do that often. Here is one way that God will definitely speak to your heart: when you go to confess your sins and can't remember those you did, just ask God to show you while you remain quiet and still. He will definitely show you where you have sinned against him!
In addition to being a listener of God, we are to listen to others. It is a gift, mentioned as the gift of exhortation and mercy in Romans 12. Exhortation means to encourage, and mercy means to comfort. Listening can be incorporated into these gifts. However, we are all called upon to encourage and offer support toward others. Proverbs 11:14 shows us the error of not seeking counsel, and the strength of accepting counsel:
Prov 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. NKJV
But who gives the counsel? We all should give counsel in the areas in which we are gifted. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 show us that we become gifted in that area in which we suffer. If you go through a bout with cancer, for instance, you then can comfort someone in that particular trial in a way that others can't.
This also speaks to those in leadership in the church. We are to lean on each other, and are to ask opinions of others. We need to be "active listeners" as I have learned on my job. An "active listener" does not just sit and blindly listen, but makes eye contact, makes comments even so small as to show that what the caller is saying is important.
Sometimes the best advice you can give is none at all, but just sitting and listening. Sammy was good at that! He never gave advice, but it sure seemed as though he was listening. Sometimes people just need to someone to listen to them, to be there to have someone to cry on their shoulder.
Joyfulness
I have to admit, Sammy was a happy dog. It really didn't take much to please him. A part of my peanut butter sandwich, a walk out the road, a "field trip" in the car, scratching behind his ears or on his back at the base of his tail were joyful events for Sammy. When he was a younger dog, he would spontaneously run from room to room for maybe 5 minutes, and we would just die laughing watching him do it. The last night before he got sick, when we came back from vacation, he bounded into the house with Turtle and went looking for Kay, then they told him to go find "Daddy", and he came bouncing downstairs and found me. He just stood there, with his mouth open, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. He was a really happy dog, and that last moment is how I will always remember him.
Phil 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
The Koine Greek word for "rejoice" in Philippians 4:4 is the word chairo (khah'-ee-ro), and means "to be "cheerful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well" (Strong's). We as Christians are to be a cheerful, happy people. However, I have found some people that profess Christ to be the opposite. Some people are just downright glum. And some people try to live the life as if each and every day is a "cross to bear", that being miserable is the way a Christian is supposed to be.
For Pete's sake NO! We all have our down days, but the Christian life is supposed to be marked by rejoicing. Hey, cheer up! Brighter days are ahead, and that is for certain. Death itself is not something to fear because you have the greatest hope--that is, expectation- -that you will have eternal life. You will be with God forever. You will never be sick again. You will see those that have died in Christ, and those that will die in Christ again.
Not only that, but we live in such luxury in our country. We really do. We complain about not having this or that, or that our finances are tight or that we work in an environment that is not conducive to a Christian. Folks, we have nothing to complain about. I was at a convenience store the other day waiting in line, and a little kid was cutting an absolute fit because he could not have a candy bar. I mean you would have thought that his mom denied this youngster a meal or something! Sometimes we act the same. We are so spoiled and ungrateful, even Christians.
No matter what the circumstance, we need to rejoice. We have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to. I know I am blessed. I am blessed with a family that loves me, with Christian brothers and sisters that care, and with a church family that the love is reciprocal. Sammy was a gift from God, we loved him and will miss him. Thanks, God, for that time and thanks for allowing him to teach us!
