Life lessons I've learned from my dog

Well we learned a life lesson last week … dying is a part of living. Our beloved “Annie”, our 7 year old Golden Retriever had to be put down a couple weeks ago with kidney disease. We mourned for about a week then went out Friday night and bought a chocolate lab puppy whom we named Lexi. She’s a bundle of fun and playfulness and every day we see more of her personality come out. If you have ever had a dog then you know what it’s like to lose one; they literally become part of the family. But you know, “man’s best friend” can teach us many lessons about life if we will only pay attention. Here are some things I’ve learned from Annie and even Lexi the few short days we’ve had her.

• Wake up happy, play hard & rest when it’s time – I don’t think Annie ever woke up in a “foul mood.” When Lexi is up and out of her kennel for the most part it’s play time . Life is so “serious” that I think I often forget to take time to “play” and I certainly don’t rest like I should. I’m learning more and more that attitude is a choice and not a result of my circumstances.

• No such thing as a stranger – I brought Lexi to the office yesterday and she played with everyone as though they were long lost friends. She didn’t care how they looked, she simply saw them as a potential friend. You know when I meet folks I will often “size them up”. People often make judgments based on appearance using that as the criteria for whether someone will be liked and accepted or not. If I’m out somewhere, how often do I avert making eye contact with others so I don’t have to engage them in any way. I need to be more like Lexi and reach out to all, seeing a potential friend in everyone I meet.

• Unconditional love – Annie never held a grudge. If I did something wrong she didn’t hold it against me and “wash her paws” of me. She’d simply forget whatever it was and move on. Annie would always greet me at the door with her tail wagging. It was like I’d been on a long journey and she was so glad I was now home. And now Lexi is starting to do the same thing.

• Sharing toys is more fun – It used to drive me crazy playing fetch with Annie. I’d throw the tennis ball and she loved running after it to get it, but then she’d not bring it back to me. She loved the keep-away part but it drove me nuts. When I’d finally get the ball from her and launch it again, she loved it and off she’d go to fetch. If only Annie could have learned how much more fun it is to give share the ball so the game could continue. How often do I cling tightly to what’s “mine”, whether it be my ideas, my time, whatever and miss the opportunity to “play” with someone who simply wants to be a friend.

• Be loyal - Dogs are so loyal and loving to their owners. They show gratitude by their affection and sloppy kisses. So I learn from that the need to be loyal and kind to others and show my gratitude and affection.

• Stop eating when you have had enough – hmmmm, I wish maybe I’d learned this lesson 30 pounds ago.

I’m sure are other lessons Annie taught me and lessons still to be learned from Lexi. Sometimes I’m a “slow learner” … thankfully Annie and now Lexi are patient in their training.

"re-learning" a lesson

Is it just me or do you find yourself needing to have lessons “re-taught” to you occasionally in order for them to sink in? I know that somewhere, either a newsletter piece or early in my blog I wrote about the same lesson I’m re-learning tonight. To be gut-level honest I am a bit irritated. I’m a huge Texas Rangers fan and this is the 2nd year they have made it to the World Series and it feels like it’s slipping away again. To top it off, the umpires have blown key calls in two of the three games, both going against the Rangers in critical situations. In game #1, losing by a run and the Rangers best home run hitter at the plate, it’s the last inning and he fouls a pitch off his foot that the umpires all missed, calling it a fair ball and he was “out” at first. Then tonight in a 1-0 game there’s a blown call at first base where the Ranger clearly tagged the Cardinal runner a good step before 1st base, and somehow the umpire missed it and the Cardinals go on to score four runs that inning.

So here’s the lesson I’m learning … or shall I say “re-learning” … are you ready for it? I’m all upset … and this is JUST a game. I doubt we will stand around in heaven talking about blown calls in the 2011 World Series. I told Jan, out of frustration really, I was going to leave the game for a few minutes and write a blog since I’d not written one recently. As I sat wondering what to write about and really still stewing over the game, it came to me.

• I doubt the family who I helped bury their beloved uncle today is worried too much about any missed calls.
• I doubt the deacon who I visited in the hospital this week as he watched his dear mother leave this life is too consumed with umpires, runs, and scores.
• I doubt the faithful member I visited in the hospital this week, who’s wife is dying from cancer and he had to listen to her as she planned her funeral with me is too concerned about who wins this game … he has bigger “fish to fry”.
• I doubt the man who is at the Medical Center right now with his wife of many years who had a heart attack today is worried whether the umpires are getting their “calls” right.
• I doubt the family in another state that a friend told me about that lost two children in a car wreck this week is even watching the game.
• I doubt the missionary friend who serves single in a closed north Africa country that is predominantly Muslim, who literally risks his life for the cause of Christ is even able to watch the game, much less worry about blown calls.

I wish I could tell you I will never again have to be reminded of this lesson. I also wish I was able to say that when this game is over and the Rangers likely lose, that it won’t cause me any angst. But the bottom line is I’m an imperfect human still learning what it means to live out my faith in a world that desperately needs to know Christ; a man doing his best. Though failing at times, often really, but doing his best, to live “right” in a “wrong” world.