Love ~ to go

"an offering and a sacrifice"

Ephesians 5:2

I'm thinking about dogs today.  I'm not really a dog person, but generally speaking, if I'm not actually interacting with them, I love them.  I'm fascinated by all the different breeds; I love seeing dogs in cars, heads out the window as they enjoy the wind blowing their ears back.  I'm just not a big fan of being jumped on or sniffed when I go to someone's house.  When I was young I was generally scared of dogs.  I'd been bitten once, and dogs can be unpredictable, so I've always been cautious.  But if they're mellow, and if I'm able to get to know them, I generally come to love them.  {Being mellow is important because that enables me to get to know them!}

With all that being said, there aren't very many dogs I love, because there aren't that many I have a chance to get to know.  I love our sweet little girl, of course.

But there also a few other dogs in my life on a fairly regular basis, and they are all at church.  Yup, they attend church with me.  There are two families, in our relatively small church, that train dogs to be Guide Dogs.  So almost every Sunday I have the chance to interact with one or two of these sweet, enthusiastic, and almost-always-well-behaved puppies.  

Cute dog I never met.  My Awesome Girl took this photo.

It's interesting to think about Guide Dogs from a perspective other than that of the disabled person.  You know, everyone once in awhile you see someone on TV, or in a store, who has a guide dog.  It's heartwarming.  Such a wonderful gift it would be for someone with that kind of need.  The dogs not only assist, but bring love and cuddling, and who doesn't need that?

This is not a guide puppy.  Just the cute dog of a friend of mine! 

But it's not quite as lovely and snuggly to think about it from the viewpoint of the trainers.  Can you imagine the love and time and effort these people put into raising and teaching these puppies?  They are their pets, and nearly constant companions, as they teach the dogs how to behave in social situations.  And these people are pretty serious dog lovers to begin with, otherwise they wouldn't have volunteered to raise the puppies.

The dog of a neighbor.  Cute, but very barky.

But then then comes the time to give them up.  And the sweet puppy, that they've come to love, and know so well, must be given away.  I know they understand that from the beginning, and that it's their goal.  Sometimes they even become friends with the new owner, which means they still get to see the dog every once in a while.  But usually, the dogs just go on to their new life, and those who raised them in their earliest days only get a Christmas card from the new families. 

It's very loving, very selfless of them, to love and care for and raise these puppies, knowing that it will be someone else enjoying the fruits of your labors. 

But really, isn't that what it's all about?  Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing, in every aspect of our lives?  In a few days it will be Good Friday ~ the epitome of suffering for others.  Seeing those puppies-in-training every Sunday is a good reminder of living a life that's doing something for others.  But this week I'm thinking of His, even more beautiful, sacrifice.  And as one of the recipients of that sacrifice, I'm thankful.

~ "Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us 

and given Himself for us, 

an offering and a sacrifice to God" ~

Ephesians 5:2