Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday March 5, 2009

One of the joys of a long term marriage is the realization that the wife in fact is the driving force in the home. Oh, I know, I know, the man is titular head and stands responsible before God, but make no mistake about it, the hand that rocks the cradle, not only rules the world, but also the hearth.

Hardly a day passes but that some event drills this truth into my head and heart.

Just the other day The Great Blonde was doing something in the kitchen and I was in my little cubby hole which I have the audacity to call "office" and the dogs, Max, Mollie and Tiny Tucker did something and the mild and meek Mrs. Lilly became in temper and countenance, an old hag much like the ones in ancient Greek literature. The gorgeous one of my youth let lose a tirade such as is seldom seen in modern times by the tender children, let alone puppies with such fragile psyches. When this happens, (never when church members are about) the normally happy and curious canine wonders beat a path to me, the stalwart of brute strength in the Lilly Realm.

Or so I thought. I made a mistake of increasing my knowledge of the canine clan, in order to better understand what makes them tick, especially Max, the junk yard dog who can be a handful.

For years I thought when the dogs came running to me they in their doggie wisdom recognized my mental, spiritual and physical superiority. Not to be. Nope, the wolf shrinks let me know through their $50 book, that in cases like mine, the dogs wisely flee the enraged female and scurry to the male, usually getting behind him, and then looking around him, with head barely showing. I almost fainted when I read:

"The wise dog, puppy or aged hairy member of family, hides behind the man, not deluding themselves into thinking that he, sans gun or knife can ultimately protect them from the infuriated female, but reasonably certain that the man is able to withstand whatever barrage the little wife throws at him, long enough for the woman, being the weaker vessel to become exhausted and thus her rage will subside and when this is apparent, they, the dogs, may slither from behind the man, and with heads lowered into the "aw shucks" mode, with tail wagging will be back in her good graces and the brutalized man will again sleep in the outdoor doghouse, which has never been occupied by a canine."

When I read what the good doctor from Alaska had to say, I was dumfounded at the practical wisdom, so much so that I thought about buying several copies for my friends, including the lady who is the boss at the college where my sweet and tender Blonde works. This lady recently had the president of her organization spend the night with she and her husband. They have five rescued dogs, all of which weigh in at near 80 lbs and have the run of the house. The president is NOT a dog person, so I assume at the Summer Conference said lady will have a room reserved at the dog pound in a grand Southern City.

Yes, there is a spiritual lesson here, though I have no idea just what.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit.

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