Pup Lesson #2

2/23/2022

Matthew 22:37-39 " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

I have learned another lesson from my pup today. We are trying to socialize her after a lonely, cold, Covid winter. She is great with other animals and people she doesn't know outside of the house, but not great when someone enters. Last night we had two couples over, and she was stressed and barking a lot of the evening. Today, because it was a 65 degree February day in Maine, I invited a dear friend over to walk with me and the pup and then come in for some tea. Our sweet girl did great and was loving on my friend and giving her kisses. A little bit into our conversation my husband walked in the door after work. The pup snuggled up with him as the three of us chatted for a while. All was well until my friend went to leave, and then the dog started growling and barking at her. He behavior, apparently, changed when my husband was in the room. 

I got to thinking about how we do that as humans too. When we are with someone we know and having a good time, all is well and fine. Then someone we are closer to comes into the situation and the other person may get barked or growled at. I know that has happened to me, and I am sure I have done it to others as well. We can easily be blown with the wind when a dynamic changes, but if Christ is our model this should not be. He never played favorites or treated anyone lesser than anyone else; He loved everyone the same. He still does. He died for my sins and yours equally, and he hears our prayers equally as well. I am called to love my neighbor and not just the ones of my choosing or when I want to. There is no caveat or out here, it is a command. So, as I train my pup to accept others into her world, I will also be asking God to help me love all those around me.