We have two dogs.
This picture is actually them.
Jazz is the small long-haired dachshund, and the English Setter is
Belle. So far, two dogs are necessary so
one won’t be “lonely.” When our previous
dachshund, Lucy died, our other dog was Chloe, a chocolate lab. My wife was sure Chloe was intolerably lonely,
so we purchased Jazz. In addition to his
initial cost, which I already believed sinful, he promptly chewed up several
pairs of shoes and two computer charging cables, etc. etc. Well, when Chloe died, I was told that Jazz
was lonely, so we added Belle to our household.
I guess unless they die together, I’m destined to live in a two-dog
family.
I must admit they are good dogs for their species,
and walking them has allowed me to learn a good life lesson I wish to share
with you.
There is an old saying, “If you want to have
friends, show yourself friendly.” As we
walk our usual route with the dogs, it is not uncommon to encounter another
walker and their dog. Never—and I mean
never—is Belle the aggressor. Her modus operandi is wagging tale and a big dog
smile; you’d think she was greeting a long lost friend. On occasion, she’s so
distracted there’s only a quick hello, and she’s off pursuing whatever
distracted her. Time and again—approaching a Great Dane or a miniature
something that has a hard time holding up its end of the leash—Belle consistently
shows herself friendly. Only with
extreme rarity has the other dog not reciprocated with wagging tail and sniffs
all around.
In contrast is little dog Jazz. If he is first to
approach a strange dog, he nearly always becomes the aggressor. People he snubs, he growls and barks at his
own species, and he so wishes to be free of his leash to actually chase cats
and squirrels. Even when it appears he
is going to be civil with another dog, often after the initial nose-to-nose
encounter—just when I think we will continue on our walk—as the leash gently
tugs at Jazz, its like a sign to explode. There is barking and growling,
sending a message that it is only the restraint of the leash that prevents his
attack!
What is hard to grasp is that it doesn’t matter
the size of his opponent. In fact, while
small dogs his size get some reaction, he really seems to think he could take
on a Rottweiler and win!
Watching the dogs in this consistent pattern of
behavior has brought to mind how we, in the human species, approach one
another. There seems to be some who are
very much like Jazz—always wanting to stir things up in a hostile way. Cooperation, friendliness, welcoming are just
not part of who they are, and there are constant complaints from Jazz-like
people that the world is hostile and not safe, and we must protect ourselves
and our rights. There are always bad
people wanting to do bad to them—from their Jazz-like perspective.
Then there are Belle-like humans—every encounter
an opportunity for new friends. They
seem to like everyone, and it almost always seems that everyone likes them.
Belle and Jazz live in exactly the same world, but
their choices of how to react to the same set of circumstances is very
different. Belle and Jazz are a regular
reminder of the truth of Jesus’ words—“We reap what we sow!” If you consider your life and what you’ve
reaped and you aren’t wild about the crop, take a moment and do some self-evaluation,
because the truth is we reap exactly what we sow! If you want friends—show yourself friendly.
Andy McDonald
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