If Men Are Dogs, Are We God’s Best Friend? (Life Lessons Learned From My Dog)

I have heard all through my life that men are dogs.  I have seen many times when some men seem to confirm this notion. Some people may disagree with this, but my concern is not only with men but also with mankind. As the saying goes, dogs are man’s best friend. I want to be God’s best friend. I want to be what God wants me to be. This may be strange, but I learned a few things about mankind’s relationship with God by watching my old dog's relationship with me. Her name was Zephyr.

When my family and I went to buy our new puppy, she was only eight weeks old. We saw the puppies playing next to the mother. As we were deciding which puppy we wanted, my eleven-month-old son grabbed this one small puppy by the tail. It did not bark, cry or try to run back to its mother. Instead, it sat in my wife’s lap, and if taken away would keep coming back to sit on her lap.

When Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Peter and Andrew and said, “Come, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It says, “at once they left their nets and followed him.”

The same way my dog left its mother and Andrew and Peter left their way of living, is the same way that we need to follow Jesus. He has called us to follow Him. We are not to moan and complain along the way.  John 1:11-12 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. When the Holy Spirit led us to Jesus, we had to make a decision to follow Him. When we believed on Jesus, we became children of God. We are to realize that we have a new family and not look back to the past but look to the hope of the future.

My family and I picked this puppy as our own. We had to give it a name. We gave her the name Zephyr and her name was never changed.

When we put our trust in Jesus and make Him our Lord, we receive a new name. He gives us His name. We receive our identity from Him. I am no longer Larry, son of Richard. I am now Larry, a child of God. I am a Christian. When people see you, they will also see Christ. Be proud to wear the name, Christian. Be the representative of Christ that you are called you to be. 1Thessalonians 2:10-12 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Zephyr was a puppy with a lot of energy. She was playful and could not relax. She was still the same for all fifteen years of her life.

When we first receive our salvation, we want to tell everybody about what has happened.  We will tell family, friends, and strangers about this life changing experience. We go to Bible studies and church services. We may have even gone witnessing in the streets or on our jobs. Over the years, we may have won a few or many to the Lord, but our energy is not at the same level. We want to let others do the work. We get so busy with other things that we forget what we should be doing. Romans 12:11-13 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. The verses following these continue with more ideas that are practical. We need to keep the zeal, energy, and joy for the things of God. Do not shrink back. Finish the race the same way you started it. Go wire to wire for God.

Zephyr had blind loyalty to me. She will follow me anywhere, even when I am not going anywhere.  If I stand up, she stands up; if I walk to the kitchen, she follows. If I go to the restroom, she comes and lies at my feet. I tried an experiment with her one time. I was watching television and at the commercial break, I stood up and walked backward and forward across the living room about 20 times or more. She never stopped following me. 

When we accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, our journey did not end. Throughout the rest of our lives, testing and trials of our commitment to Him will come.  Salvation is not the end of the road. It is the beginning.  We need to say yes to the Lord no matter what he is asking us to do or say. It takes a walk of faith to do this, but we are supposed to live by faith. John tells Gaius in 3 John 1:3-4 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. God wants to tell us the same thing. He wants to know that no matter what He has told us to do we will obey. If He brings us to places that we may or may not like, we will go. If He wants us to stay where we are, we will stay.  God wants us to trust Him with all of our hearts, not just a part of it. When I meet Him, I want him to say, “Well done.”

Zephyr went through a bad time for a while. She quit eating. She just laid there. We thought she was about to die. One day, my wife and I had gone to the pet store to buy some fish. While waiting for someone to help us, we spotted a dog for sale. It was a miniature Border collie mix. Since Zephyr, weighing over 45 pounds and was too big to be a lap dog, we decided to buy this smaller dog and bring it home. What we did not realize, is that bringing a new dog into the home was the best thing for Zephyr. She started eating again. She started playing with the puppy, Layla. Zephyr came to life.

Sometimes people get the idea that they can go through this life all by themselves. We cannot. We need encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we are down, we need someone to pick us up. When others are down, we need to pick them up. We are one body that needs each other to function properly.  Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Zephyr was a great and loyal dog. Some may call me a dog, but I want to be God’s best friend. Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

REFRESHED

For the last several years, I have worked very long days and became used to very little sleep. I amazed to what the human body can become accustomed. During the little time that I did get off, I would try to find something entertaining and relax if nothing important was pressing. I took a nap on most of those days. However, during those naps, I would only get about five minutes of actual sleep. It was enough to refresh me for the next few hours.

I took a vacation last week. The first three days of vacation, I attended a conference. Now I know most people do not consider that a vacation, but it is a time that I am able to see some friends that I only see once a year. It is also a time to get away from all the responsibilities at home. I used the remainder of my vacation playing tourist in my hometown. I enjoyed several things for the first time or for the first time in a long time.

Some people never take vacations. They do not want to fall behind at work. They have too many responsibilities. Vacations are too expensive. I have heard all of these excuses and more. However, I believe time off would benefit everyone. The companies that hired us survived before we worked there, and they will survive while we are gone. I believe the benefits of taking a break outweigh the troubles we think it may cause.

Physically, the rest is refreshing. I may have only slept six or seven hours a night while on vacation, but that is much more than I normally get. I feel refreshed. I feel awake. I am ready to start the day with more energy than I have in a while. I feel like I can do much more now than I did only a week ago with the renewed energy.

Mentally, I was able to reset. I enjoy my job, but sometimes it is a strain. I was able to separate myself from my job. None of the worries consumed me. I have not always been able to get away and not think about the problems waiting for my return. There are times I had to force myself not to think about the job, but my mind was mostly job-free. I thought about the questions “where to eat”, “what to do”, and “do I want to get out of bed”. This week was a much-needed mental vacation that allowed me to rid myself of certain frustrations and attitudes that had become a part of me.  

A person has three parts: body, mind, and spirit. Often, we take care of the first two but forget about the most important part.

This week was also a spiritual refreshing. It was a time when I could step away and appreciate what God has done for me. It was a time to get my mind off me and look closer at God. Too often, we focus on what and who we are rather than how great He is.

When we take a break, let us not forget to take care of the whole person. Do not think the world will fall apart without you. When you return, you can be refreshed. You can come back with more energy. You can have new or renewed vision. You can even have an improved attitude.

Take some time to take care of yourself. 

Game of Thrones

For those unaware, the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is the story of several noble houses fighting each other to determine who should be king or queen of the “seven kingdoms.” That is the most simplistic way of summarizing it.

Sometimes, real life feels like a game of thrones. So many people and things trying to take control. Some things are trying to imprison you while others try to set you free. Both wanting you to yield to their way.

For those unaware, the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is the story of several noble houses fighting each other to determine who should be king or queen of the “seven kingdoms.” That is the most simplistic way of summarizing it.

Sometimes, real life feels like a game of thrones. So many people and things trying to take control. Some things are trying to imprison you while others try to set you free. Both wanting you to yield to their way.

As children, we cannot wait to be an adult so that no one can tell us what to do. As adults, we realize that never really happens. Someone is always lording over us in some way.

If you are in school, teachers dictate your workload. They decide if your work is good enough to continue with your course of study.

If you are employed, you have various levels of management telling you what to do. They also decide if your work is good enough and how you should be rewarded or held back.

At home, our spouses have things for us to do. Sometimes our children’s schedules dictate what we do. Homeowner’s associations can even dictate what type of mailbox you must install.

We may let our television programs dictate when we do things. There is no shortage of things that want to rule our lives.

Here is the question we must ask ourselves. To whom shall we listen? What if the school, work, home and everything else are all telling us something different? We must decide who or what we will follow.

Often times, we choose not what we really want, but on what will cause us fewer problems. We choose the path of least resistance. It is the safe way to go.

We all must decide who or what will reign in our lives.  We all need something or someone to trust. Some live by a code. Others live by faith in a deity. Many just seem to live according to what is popular at the moment.

No one but you can make the choice who you will serve, but like it or not we all serve another.

Conflicts arise when you try to serve more than one. We cannot please everyone. It has been said that a kingdom divided cannot stand. So, to which kingdom will you yield?

I personally yield to who I consider the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. That is my choice that I freely made. I let his teachings guide my decisions at home, work, and school. That does not mean I do not sometimes surrender to another. However, when I do, it does not take long for me to see the error of my ways.

No one can make the choice for who you serve but you. The person who does not choose becomes unstable in everything they do. Often something forces them to yield even when they do not wish to do so.

Who sits on your throne? Life is a battle for control, but it is no game to be played lightly.

Do Good Things Really Happen To Those That Wait?

I have heard it said that good things come to those who wait. Recently I began to wonder how true that statement really is.  I know of people that have waited for something good to happen to them, but good seems to be just out of their reach. How can something good keep missing the same people? How long does one have to wait before good finds them?

Life is full of surprises. I do not believe that good things happen to people by chance. I believe things happen to people depending on the waiting process. In other words, the things you do while waiting makes the difference.

If you are waiting for the bus and get distracted by your phone or something that is around you, it is entirely possible that you miss the bus for which you have been waiting. Being distracted can lead to missed opportunities. Keep focused on what it is you want. Do not let immaterial things stop you from achieving your goals. Wait without being distracted.

Sometimes people are waiting for good things to happen but are not in the right place. If you wait for a bus at the wrong bus stop, the bus you need will never come. Make sure you put yourself in a place where you can find good opportunities. Sending in resumes for jobs in which you are not qualified is similar to that situation. Better use of your time is to seek jobs for which you are qualified, but you should continue to expand your qualifications whether taking classes, volunteering or job shadowing. Wait at the right place.

I went to a big box store last year for a few things. The line at the register was so long and was not moving. I became frustrated, put my items back and went to another store. Many opportunities are missed because we grow impatient or frustrated. We need to learn to keep our heads in the game. We want to take the fastest approach which may not be the best way to go. Sometimes it is more beneficial to wait for the right opportunity then to just take the next opportunity. We may need to ask ourselves if the opportunity in front of us will help me achieve our goals. If it does not, we may need to wait for the right one. Wait with patience.

It is said that no news is good news. That just means that you still have a chance because you have not been rejected. Some people will try for what they want because they assume they have no chance. If you want something, go for it. Believe in yourself. Do not lose confidence because the wheels in a situation are moving really slow. Slow wheels are still turning. Some opportunities may take longer than others. Good opportunities are worth the waiting. Wait with hope.

Keep your eye on the prize. Do not forget what you want to achieve. Be consistent in seeking what will help you accomplish your goals and leave aside things that may hinder them. In the Old Testament, the people were waiting to hear the word of God, but because it took longer than they expected began to serve golden idols. Keep moving in the right direction. Wait while remaining faithful.

Good things will come to those that wait, but how you wait matters.

The Ups and Downs of the Job World

My life is never dull. I hear people say that about me all the time. While this is true, it does not always seem to be a good thing. My life, like everyone else, is filled with peaks and valleys. Fortunately, I have good people surrounding me to keep me hopeful in the low times. They also keep me grounded in the high times.

 

I remember after college it took about ten months before I found a decent job. I held jobs, but they were nothing in which I wanted to launch a career. I finally started my career in 1988. During that career, I have held jobs, that while I enjoyed them, most people would not want or could not handle. A common refrain I heard was, "it takes a special kind of person to do what you do." Actually, I always thought it would only take someone with bills to pay and a willingness to do their job.

 

Everything went great until 1995 when my department became contracted out. I was given a buyout package and worked for the contractors for four and a half years. During that time, I put in several applications to get rehired by the company. Three out of four positions were given to someone else for a job I was already doing. Politics was always involved. However, the fourth application, the hiring supervisor told me he would fight the politics to get me hired. It took a few months, but he succeeded. I was rehired by the company I started with in 1988.

 

The supervisor told me that the reason he continued to interview me and fight for me was because during all of the rejections, I maintained a great attitude and continued doing my job correctly.

 

I have had several up and down situations arise while at this company. Life would not be an adventure if everything went the way I planned. I have learned that no matter what comes your way, tomorrow always comes. You may be knocked down. You may need to pick yourself up. You may be celebrated. You may need to humble yourself.

 

Attitude and job performance keeps me going. I do my job. I do it to the best of my ability, and I am willing to go above and beyond what some are willing to do to make sure things work smoothly. Someone asked me the other day after putting in my notice at my second job, "who will replace you and do what you do?" My answer was simple. Whoever does there job the way it was meant to be done. The company survived before I arrived and will remain that way after I am gone. I am thankful for the opportunity they gave me when others would not.

 

Laziness will get you nowhere good. You need to take the bull by the horns and make it do what you want it to do. Obstacles will always arise. Jump over them. Push them out of the way. Take charge of your career and make no excuses.

 

Keep a good attitude and don't let people or circumstances define who you are. Overcome. Endure. Finish the race.