love lessons

The best lessons I learned about love were taught to me by my dog, its true, a lot can be said about the love of our pets.  I have a thirteen year old Chesapeake Bay retriever named Whitney who tops the scales these days at 95 pounds, yet she does not know this, many times my legs almost buckling under me when she tries to relive her glory days and curl up in my lap.  Despite my shortcomings and many flaws she loves me anyway, when the humidity level outside is registering 90% and my hair resembles that of an overcooked crinkle fry, she loves me, when my hormones woke up on different sides of the bed that day, I mysteriously gained ten pounds during the night and I am having an all around “I feel ugly” day, it escapes her unnoticed as she is still waiting by door when I get home, tail wagging, letting out a near window shattering bark when I take too long getting in the house, anxiously awaiting her welcome home rub down and nuzzling my neck and hair leaving me sopping wet from drool. She is excited to see me even when I am not excited to be me on that particular day, she listens and doesn’t respond when I need to talk, she just lays at my feet and listens, almost as if by instinct lifting her tired old bones off the floor that sometimes don’t always work properly anymore to rest her head in my lap when I need an extra hug at that particular moment, she doesn’t give my favorite pair of paint stained jogging pants a second glance, she doesn’t care that I don’t wear a size 2 and that I am not a fan of hair and makeup and I try to do it as little as possible, she isn’t embarrassed to be seen with me on our daily walks, at times my hair uncombed and my bare face freshly scrubbed and starting to show signs of its age, she doesn’t care what I look like or how I am dressed she is just happy to be taking a walk with me, never once asking me if I am really going to leave the house looking like that. 

Whitney loves everyone and everyone loves Whitney, well not everyone, if you are not a large dog type of person you will not like Whitney, a little scratch on her ears and she is your friend forever, when Whitney is done you will find yourself bathed in drool and wearing a new fur coat. She never holds a grudge and is all too willing to forgive with just a simple good old fashioned belly rub.  My Whitney will love you, despite every flaw and shortcoming, she doesn’t care whether you are short or tall thin or heavy where you live or what your income is, she will love you.  May we all walk in love like this.

We were created in love, by the One who is love, we are beautiful in God's eyes just as we are.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells it this way:  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres.

My sweet girl who will always love you.

For your listening pleasure today is Francesca Battistelli, Beautiful Beautiful.
Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful Beautiful