by Angeles

Created on: April 15, 2008

Do you know what the difference is between cats and dogs? Cats say "Wow, they pet me, they feed me, I must be God!". The dog says "Wow, they pet me they feed me, they must be God!" We learn so much from our pets, even spiritually.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a walk and saw a black lab playing ball with his owner. He was so happy. He was running as fast as he could after the ball, then as fast as he could back to his owner with the ball in his mouth. He dropped the ball at her feet and would take off running even before she had actually thrown it again. You could just tell by it's enthusiasm, that dog was in heaven. He could do this over and over and over again. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth but he showed no signs of wearing down.

I was talking with a friend one day about her dog. She said when she would come home, and would go anywhere near where they kept the leash, her dog would watch to see if they might be going for a walk. When they would get the leash out, the dog would get so excited it could hardly maintain itself.

She made the point that the dog didn't moan and groan, it didn't say "ok, if I have to", it didn't say "Let's wait until later" or "I just don't feel like it". It was instantly ready to go outside and have an adventure.

It made me wonder how it could be different if I could "be the dog" in my life. Basically, a dog is living only in the moment. A dog doesn't hold grudges, it doesn't harbor resentments. It instantly forgives all your shortcomings. I can learn so much by practicing being in this moment only. I can hear my friends and family more clearly, I can experience life more deeply. I could not harbor resentments and do better at just letting them go. I could trust that I am safe, my basic needs are met, and I am loved.

What if we were to "be the dog" spiritually, what would that look like? If we were the dog, we would be completely happy with this current day whether we were at rest or play. We would easily show love to those who came across our path, we would rest in the arms of God and allow the universe to gently stroke us in a loving way. We would not fret over situations that daily come into our lives, but would trust that God is in control and our needs are already being provided for. And most of all, I would hope we would play until we were dog tired.

As I go about my week, I look at what areas of my life I could take on just one of these characteristics shown to me by my furry friends. I try practicing the characteristic of unconditional love and acceptance. I read a quote in the Readers Digest that said "I want to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." That's quite the calling. Whether I am at rest or play, I try to remember, even for brief moments, to "Be the Dog".

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