No animal melts my heart like a dog. I think I may have received that trait from my dad; he always had a dog at his side when I was growing up. In fact, my mom had to marry him and his dog, Sandy, a little wire-haired terrier. Once my sis and I came along, Sandy was old and a little grumpy. After he went to the “happy hunting grounds,” as my dad called it, we got a German shepherd-mix dog named Toby. Each consecutive family dog had their own personalities, to which I still find intriguing to this day.
Buddy, our five year old Husky-Labrador cross, is just as full of personality as the myriad of canine companions that were at my childhood side. Our long-haired gentle, quiet-natured pet just wants to be with us, his family. He will swing on the swing with us, push his nose under our armpits or sit on our feet. He is also the most hilarious dog I’ve ever been with and makes us laugh every day. He doesn’t sulk or pout; has a real upbeat way about him and in fact, he brought laughter into our home just when we needed it.
Before anyone gets their shirt in a knot about his health and well-being, be assured he is well taken care of! First off, nature has provided him with a double coat of insulation; that Husky undercoat, dense and thick. In fact, he loves to lay outside on his back in a rain storm or in snow mid-winter when he could rather be in his insulated dog house. He also has his fair share of porch time, especially when the temperature dips. Never mind the soft bed in his condo, I mean garage, that is nice and toasty where his meals are also regularly delivered morning and night. All of his needs are met. But yet, he just wants to be close; the closer the better. All he wants is relationship.
Buddy’s main job is to keep deer and other wildlife at bay as well as any unwanted visitors. Rest assured, his protective instincts are sure to kick in if necessary. He’s also a great snake sniffer-outer. He seems to have an uncanny ability to sniff out snakes and let us know when there is one in the yard. He will bark at the snake and keep it in one spot until someone deals with it.
Besides his talented outdoor protecting skills, his most obvious job for our family is companionship. And he seems to need it just as much as we do. When I think of his need to be close, I think of the deeper need that we have as humans to be close.
We were made for relationships. We were made to be close physically, emotionally and even spiritually. here is an intimacy that comes when we share life together; not just romantic love of a husband and wife but a sharing of lives (appropriately) with others. The temptation is to hold back because of past hurts, betrayal, or pain yet God has designed us to be in fellowship with each other. . “This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Let’s take a tip from Buddy: don’t forget the importance of developing closeness with those around us. It makes life much sweeter.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
