I have to say, I think we’re a pretty good dog-owning family.
Our dogs are loved, spoiled, and very much part of the household. Which is why what happened the other day made me feel absolutely terrible.
Somehow, in the busyness of life, the dog door that gives them access to the backyard had been shut.
Not for an hour.
Not for an afternoon.
For an entire day.
The realization came around ten o’clock that night when everyone was getting ready for bed and I noticed a smell in the house. One of our dogs had relieved themselves in the corner of a room, something they never do. After checking the dog door and asking around, I discovered that it had been closed since the day before.
My heart sank.
This wasn’t a behavioral issue. It wasn’t disobedience. It was desperation.
For twenty-four hours, they had nowhere to go.
I immediately opened the door and followed them outside. It was pitch black, and I found myself apologizing to them and loving on them because I felt so guilty.
And do you know what they did?
Nothing.
No grudge.
No resentment.
No cold shoulder.
They were just happy.
Happy to be outside. Happy to be together. Happy that we were with them.
They wagged their tails, ran around the yard, and played with each other as though nothing had happened.
Standing there in the dark, I remember thinking, We don’t deserve dogs.
And I know it’s a little hokey, but we’ve all heard that dog spelled backwards is God. Whether that means anything linguistically, I don’t know.
But I do know this.
Dogs have a way of teaching us things.
They forgive quickly.
They love generously.
They greet us with joy.
And they seem far more interested in being with us than keeping score.
As I stood in the backyard that night, I couldn’t help but wonder if God’s love is more like that than I sometimes allow myself to believe.
Because I know there have been plenty of times when I’ve fallen short.
Times when I’ve gotten distracted.
Times when I’ve missed things I shouldn’t have missed.
And yet His response has never been to turn away.
Maybe that’s why dogs touch something so deeply inside us.
They remind us what unconditional love feels like.
And perhaps every now and then, with a wagging tail and a little grace, they remind us what it looks like too.
We really don’t deserve dogs.
But they sure do teach some lovely lessons.