It's a Dog's Life

I took yesterday morning off from my from my blogging responsibilities, leaving millions of you with nothing to read with your morning cup of Joe. Sorry, but it couldn’t be helped. The reason for shirking of this my responsibility was something that years ago I could not have understood. At the end of last week, our little dog Maggie developed some severe breathing problems that made it necessary to take her to the vet. After an examination and battery of x-rays, they decided they needed to put her under to conduct further tests. So they put her under… and she kept going. They had to act fast to “bring her back.” (Do they have really little doggie paddles to zap them like on ER?) Maggie is doing much better now, but I stayed home yesterday thinking we were taking her to see a specialist. As it turned out, that appointment is later this afternoon. They are even talking about sending her to Richmond or even Raleigh to get a CAT scan (I’ll refrain from remarking on the obvious irony of having a CAT scan on a dog).

OK. Now flash back years ago. One of our members called me very upset and asking to be added to the prayer list because their dog had just died. Well, I think that I said all the right things and treated her grief appropriately, but it wasn’t easy for me. I was thinking, “Hey this is only a dog; let’s get a grip here.” I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand how completely a pet can become part of your life and your family. I didn’t appreciate how a pet’s love for and dependence on you can be reflected back to the point where it is you who loves and depends on them. I understand now. I'm still not a pet lover. (We had lunch at the Timms yesterday, and there were 3 hyper dachshunds running around and the word "cute" never came to my mind even once). But there is one pet I do love.

This is something of an object lesson for life. We can’t fully appreciate the struggles and difficulties of others because we don’t fully share their life experiences. And maybe we have a tendency to downplay the feelings and thoughts of others because we can’t relate to them. Paul calls the church in Rome to live together as a spiritual family that supports one another. He says—

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (Romans 12:15-16)

The church in Rome struggled because their life experiences were so different. The thoughts, feelings and assumptions of those who had grown up as Roman pagans were very different from those who came to Christian faith as Jews. Those differences were seen in different ideas about observing holy days, eating meats offered to idols and drinking wine (see Romans 14). Paul calls them to love and support one another as a Christian family even when they can’t understand each other’s perspectives.

Maggie is going to be fine. Her biggest problem this morning is that she can’t eat before her procedure this afternoon! As I left her this morning (with a puzzled look at me and then at her dish), I couldn’t help but wonder. Wouldn’t we be better at being a church if we would all just get a dog?