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| Day 21 |
By Mary Hill
I gather with hundreds of women virtually every Friday for a five-minute shared writing exercise on a word provided by Lisa-Jo Baker. We write for five minutes without backtracking or correcting. It is just simple response to the weekly word. Each of us bring our own takes on the word and somehow doing so has built a community.
This week’s word is : Joy
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| Dobber plays with our smaller dog, Lily. He is 14-years-old this month. |
His white and spotted coat looked funny yesterday when he got back from the groomers. His tail wagged so fast it beat a rhythm. Joy shined from his old 14-year-old eyes. He was just happy to see me. He doesn’t have a bad mood in his old body; even though, he gets up slowly and sometimes shakes as he walks.
His eyes are muted with a milky substance: cateracts. He can’t hear anymore, but he is joyful anyway.
We could learn a lot from our furry friends about joy and happiness; simple expectations and faith. He knows me and knows I love him. He crawls up in my lap and snuggles up to me with his head on my shoulder. Pure joy at just being where he is at.
It humbles me because I am not deserving at times. I go hours without saying hello. I keep him in the backyard because he never house trained. I love him though and wish he could be like my Lily, allowed inside all day. He loves to go for walks and I can’t take him. He loves to chase a stick or ball, and I don’t have the energy to throw one.
But he greets me with joy anyway. He loves me so much. Underserving love and so pure. He would give his life for mine. I know because he has protected me. Now he is entering his twilight years, and it brings me joy to make them the happiest years that I can.
Only one other has loved me like that: Christ. He died for me and He counts it joy when I pray to Him and surrender to His will. Such a simple lesson from such a simple being. My dog is so much more Christ like than me.
Also joining Create with Joy, Playdates with God, Tell His Story, Thought Provoking Thursday and other Friday hops found on my Friday hop directory page.
I loved your story. Thanks so much for sharing your feelings with the world. I especially like that you have a dog named Lily. I have one, also. She is a German Shepherd, though. I wanted to rename her when we got her, but my husband like the name, so it stuck. Thanks for your great writing. Keep telling the world your story! It brings a smile to God’s face. You rock, girlfriend.
These lines struck me in your discovery draft off the word, “joy.”
“He loves to go for walks and I can’t take him. He loves to chase a stick or ball, and I don’t have the energy to throw one.”
I hear the human expectation of what deserving love would look like, contrasted with the complete unconditional acceptance in the love from the dog.
Hi Mary,
Stopping in to say hello. Thanks for this exercise in joy, and the dog insights.
Have a great week,
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
That was so touching. I almost cried Mary.
Thank you for sharing this about your dog. We lost a dog this winter and I just spent an hour comforting my 8 year old because something triggered his heart tonight to hurt for his lost dog. Dogs are such a gift of love and devotion we don’t deserve. You wrote so beautifully about yours.
Sweet. 🙂