Bentley Proves Relationships Matter
You can see from these photos that I am on grand-dog duty. One of the perks of grandparenting is they come with pets. I am dog-sitting sweet, 12-year-old Bentley. His eyesight is waning, but he sure has a good smeller and hearer. I was warned by my kids that I shouldn’t let him get near other dogs because with his seeing issues, he gets anxious. For two days, I heeded their warnings. Then a friend came out with her cutie shihtzu, Daisy, and the two of them hit it off. Then yesterday, three friends (seen in these photos) came to the dog park with their dogs and Bentley perked up when they were at least 15-feet away. I thought “Wow, he must be able to see, after all!” He seemed thrilled for relationships. It was a sweet sight to behold. They sniffed each other’s bottoms and I googled to see why. Here’s what I found out:
“There’s a good reason why dogs stick their noses in private places. It lets them find out all kinds of things about each other to help them get along and survive. A bottom sniff for dogs is like a handshake for humans. But why? Dogs’ amazing sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than humans. (So that’s how Bentley knew he had friends coming!) They also have a special part of their noses that detects chemicals that tell dogs if another dog is male or female, how old it is, what it eats, how healthy it is, and even what kind of mood they’re in. The chemicals also help them know if other dogs are strangers or if they’ve met before. It’s how dogs get to know each other!”
And, to all that info, I say “Thanks, God, for planning it that way for dogs to have relationships and NOT the way You chose for us!”
But, God wants us ALL to be in relationships. One of the dog owners shared that she needed her dog in her life because he causes her to get out and walk and meet others. She has relationships. The Bible is very clear about what really matters in life – loving God and loving others. (Galatians 5:6). Honestly, it’s hard for me to understand the awful animosity in our country. How can people sleep without a clear conscience of knowing “this day I lived a life of love?” “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m nothing without love.” (1 Corinthians 13:3)
One of these days, God is going to evaluate our lives by our relationships. He’s going to ask, “How much did you love Me and other people?” That’s called the Great Commandment. “Did you love God with all your heart, and did you love your neighbor as yourself?”
That love makes us winners. That love IS about relationships. Whatever happened to “relationship” building — making the effort to get to know our neighbors? That’s one of the things I love about my community. We are always passing by each other, and now, without masks, we’re REALLY able to get to know each other and call each other by name.
If you are lonely or tired of going it alone through life, go out and BE a friend. Be the CEO of your life – the Chief Encouragement Officer. Be the light others need. Show yourself friendly. Be an encourager. Pray for a friend. Pray God gives you true friendships — and make sure that THE Friend Who sticks closer than any brother is RIGHT at the top of those relationships.