Pictures of Support from my Pups
Recently, our youngest, and newest addition, a year old pup, needed to have a broken nail removed. She was mildly sedated and feeling the effects when she came home. Additionally, to keep her from trying to lick her paw, she was wearing……..the cone of shame! Now, this little lady is very, very active and very, very skittish so the circumstances were not ideal. How similar to my own experience – where God often allows me to be in circumstances where I am not comfortable or happy. However, like God does for me, He gave my little girl exactly what she needed in the behaviors of her packmates at home.
So, our eldest pup, sometimes cranky and sometimes spunky, laid right in front of our patient and guarded her from being startled or moving around before she was ready. (One dinosaur/ewok growl and both young ones stop in their tracks!) This older lady offered support by being wise, and protective.
Galatians 6:2 says “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Now, this letter from Paul is to an early church, offering encouragement and wisdom as believers live life together. God calls us to show empathy. Sharing burdens can be a form of empathy – recognizing how others feel, or offering help from our own experiences. However, empathy can look quite different and quieter too. Romans 12:15 calls us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, [and] weep with those who weep.” This seems to describe more of just coming alongside those who are hurting. Romans is another letter from Paul to a group of early Christians. But my story is about dogs. How does it connect? Well, God uses ALL of His creation to echo His goodness, kindness, love and His unique design of all things. These dogs modeled the behaviors Paul was emphasizing.
While our oldest stood guard, our middle guy showed how to come alongside. As our pup whimpered in confusion and pain, our middle guy, our most emotional dog (and the most emotional dog I’ve ever met), whimpered back, jumped up on the chair and placed his head gently in the cone with her head. He just joined her in her suffering and provided comfort. They touched noses and fell asleep while our eldest girl watched over them.
God is amazing. He used my pets to remind me of the ways we are called to love – and how He has uniquely gifted us to offer love in different ways so that together we can get through tough circumstances. We can remind one another, through our actions and support, that God loves us. Look around and see where you can support someone and thank someone for supporting you.
