Monthly Archives: July 2013

Letting Louey Go

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Eight-years old and a lifetime of love. Louey was a Boxer with one tooth that always stuck out, a tongue too long for his mouth, and a docked tail we lovingly called his “gas cap” – for obvious reasons. I swear he had a motor in that little nubbin.

Whenever the garage door went up, he’d be there, waiting by the kitchen door to greet me when I got home. His tail would wag at the speed of light and he’d be holding his “baby” – a ratty, old stuffed rabbit he’d safeguarded for years. That’s when the prancing and pretzeling began.

Lou didn’t like to cuddle, but he was a toucher. He also shadowed me everywhere I went, regardless of whether he knew where we were going.

He liked to have his hindquarters scratched, but not his back and definitely not around the ears. You could trail your fingers along his sides and watch the skin ripple and flinch repeatedly. Messing with his ears brought on a “kickle-itch” attack every time.

Boxers are strong, sleek, and muscular, and Louey was no exception. He loved children, but had a BIG bark that would make a grown man back away. At heart though, he was such a coward. This sixty-five pound beast once confronted a six pound Yorkie…and ran away! From a cat, too. And a squirrel. A bird. And let’s not forget the evil vacuum cleaner. And the broom.

He didn’t care much for thunderstorms, always seeking a reassuring pat or if we weren’t home, a hiding place under the bed. And Lou had to be the only dog in the world not motivated by food. Oh, the games we would play to get his meds down.

Such a funny guy. Happy. Trustworthy. A real sweetie. Brave, too (to a point). It was hard to let him go, but it was harder to watch him suffer.

I miss Lou.  And I still look for him at the door when I come home.

When I consider Your heavens…

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” Psalms 8:3-4
To look beyond yourself is to see amazing wonders everywhere — colors that fire the imagination, textures that beg for description, smells to tantalize the soul, and the complex creations that leave scientists struggling to explain. All hidden in plain sight. How can we not believe in a Creator? How can we not stand in awe of the mighty God who spoke the earth into being?
Then the Lord of the heavens gave man dominion over all living things of the earth. Wow. And how have we fared at that responsibility?
Consider, would a Fortune 500 Company hire someone to perform a job and not explain what needs to be done and how to do it? Wouldn’t they provide instruction? Training? A network of support to help the new employee succeed? Of course they would.  But, what if the new hire refused to accept the instruction or embrace the training? What if he refused to seek help when he couldn’t figure it out himself? Can he expect to succeed?
Christianity is much the same way. God brought us into the world with a purpose for our lives, a job to do. He provided an instruction manual (the Bible) with all the answers and gave us access to a divine 24/7 support line (prayer), one that goes direct to His ear. Perhaps the real question should be …  Who am I that I am not mindful of You?