Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday September 21, 2007

Dr. James A. Scudder of Chicago tells of walking in a residential district and noticed a man walking his dog. The strange thing about this is the dog was wearing a quad of shoes. The man explained, "My dog is so old that all the padding is worn off his feet. The shoes give him the padding he needs. Without the shoes it would be like you or me walking on hot coals." The dog was fifteen and a half.

Dr. Scudder said, "You should write a book about how to take care of dogs." The man answered, "It would be a very short book, because I only have one secret."

"What's that?"

"I love my dog."

Ah, the simplicity of love. Doing the things the dog needed done was not work, but a pleasure. Love is like that.

On Thursday I sat in the memorial service for a lady I had known and on occasion had counseled. She had died suddenly on Saturday. Before her burial, her husband of 36 years also died. Tragedy of tragedies. Jim had doted on her, loving her dearly. The pictures and other "stuff" of a lifetime was all around the visiting area. I had often petted the family's two dogs, one an overfed Bassett and the other a well rounded fluffy small dog of some sort. Both dogs were "sweeties." As the minister droned on I found that my mind kept wandering to the thought, "What is going to happen to the dogs?" The only child, a preacher I knew well, had passed a few years ago.

On Wednesday evening the dogs had been mentioned at our house and the wife, just as quick as a flash of lightening near shouted, "NO!" The question was not posed, she anticipated it and like an all-pro linebacker, she went for the sack thus preventing the pass/question. So, there I sat, wondering about the dogs. I am getting more like James Thurber in that I like dogs better than I like most people.

Often Jim would be seen walking the Bassett around the neighborhood, ears flapping, (the dogs, not Jims) and Jim sort of talking to the dog. Dogs like that.

Losing his dear wife tore his heart out and the preacher said, "Jim died of a broken heart." In my estimation the preacher moved up quite a few notches with that remark.

In my opening story, the man said loving the dog made it easy to find the time to care for the dog.

I wonder if this works if you love people?

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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