Easily Excitable

What a time God must have had making all of creation. 

Look, I know, I know: He spoke it all into existence. 

He said it, and it was so. 

And it was good. 

But still, my imagination makes Him mighty hands-on. 

The Creator, left to His own devices

Standing outside of time, with- pardon the repetition, but what else do you call it?- all the time in the world, God formed and worked and measured and decorated. 

He painted spots on the leopard, stripes on the zebra. 

He called forth spikes on the pufferfish and grew teeth on the shark. 

He decided that monkeys would eat the oddest fruit- a banana- and that the gazelles would feast on grass. 

Again I say- what a time He must have had as He delighted in His good design, smiling and whistling as He went along. 

But, He must have really gotten a kick out of one animal: 

The dog. 

God brushed on the fur and painted the black nose. Then, He tilted His head and considered the tail. 

The tail…it might have been just a little bit too still. So, God thought up the impossible, and He decided that a wag was exactly what it needed. 

Adam sung when he saw Eve. 

Surely, though, He had to giggle when He saw that first dog. 

I have it in my mind’s eye that it was a puppy, all kisses and fluff. 

And I like to think the dog was a golden retriever. But then again, I’m just a little partial to them. 

But, at any rate, God made a dog. And I have to think that was one of the best things He ever made. 

God made a dog because He knew there were many lessons we humans might learn from them. 

He knew we would need to learn joy in the small things: 

Running outside, 

A good back scratch, 

A treat,

A nap on the couch,

A good meal. 

After all, the simple things in life are the greatest gifts. 

So, God made a dog. 

He knew we would need to know how to forget quickly: 

The not-so-good days, 

The much-needed discipline, 

Yes, a command every once in a while, 

The accident that happened in the living room. 

After all, we need to have a short memory and long forgiveness for others’ mess-ups (and could probably do well to remember what we’ve been taught along the way, too).

So, God made a dog. 

He knew we would need a picture of what love looked like:

At the end of a long day. 

When you come home from a trip. 

When it seems like the world is going against you. 

After all, nothing can make your day a little better than being loved fiercely. 

So, God made a dog. 

He knew that we would need a protector:

From intruders, sure. 

But also from lawn mowers. 

Loud noises. 

Movies that have singing in them. 

After all, knowing someone (or something!) has your back is comforting. 

So, God made a dog. 

He knew We’d need a Reminder of What Loyalty Looks Like:

A goodest boy who would follow us from room to room. 

Who would make sure you don’t get lonely in the bathroom. 

Or when getting ready for work in the morning. 

Or during your daily quiet-and-coffee time. 

After all, sticking with our people through thick and thin is one of the most important lessons we could learn. 

So, God made a dog. 

He knew we would need affection:

With a wagging tail, 

A wet kiss,  

A cold nose, 

And a little bit of slobber. 

After all, no one ever suffered at the hands of too many kisses. 

So, God made a dog. 

He knew that we would need to learn to care for something other than ourselves:

From puppy middle-of-the-night assurances

To the elderly dog give-them-a-little-grace moments. 

The multiple potty breaks a day, 

Morning and evening feeding schedules, 

Flea and tick treatments, 

Vet appointments, 

And the occasional brushing. 

After all, life is best when we sacrifice for another. 

So, God made a dog. 

God has many crowning achievements (pardon the pun).

And, yes, I do believe His best was the crew made in His own Image, 

But dogs? 

They’re pretty great, too. 

Dogs look at us with love and only love. 

Sometimes with a little sass, sure.

But, they adore us both simply and earnestly. There are few things in life quite that pure.

I believe that, to enter the kingdom of heaven, we certainly need the faith of a child. But wouldn’t we all be better off if we learned how to love like a dog, too? 

Dogs have an innate ability to make you feel like you mean the world to them. 

And really, from their eyes? 

We kind of are their world. 

I’m grateful for our pup: getting Boone has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. He is the goodest boy and best companion for us. 

Here’s to the wagging tails and puppy smiles. May we teach them to sit and stop, but also learn a thing or two from them along the way.