Kids and Dogs

Since I began writing this blog in 2008, I've written a lot about my dad. And if you haven't guessed, I'm probably going to write about him as long as I write. You see, my dad was one of the wisest men I've ever known. He had a gift for taking the simple things in life and turning them into profound lessons for me. Lessons that have stayed with me my whole life. Lessons that I've tried to pass along to my own children. Lessons from a man with a tender and gentle heart, a man who lived out the faith he shared with others every single day of his life.

I think perhaps some of the greatest lessons Daddy taught me came through some of the "sayings" he had ... you know, small one-liners that carried a huge amount of meaning and wisdom in them. One of those in particular has been running through my mind lately, and I'm quite sure there is a reason for my recalling Daddy's words during the season of life that I currently find myself in. "If kids and dogs love a person ... I'm telling you ... there's a good heart in that person somewhere. A person may be able to pretend with other people, but kids and dogs know if a man has a good heart or not."

Little kids always loved my dad ... always. If there were kids in a room, even if they didn't know him, they would eventually wind up laughing and playing with Daddy. He had a way with kids ... a way of making them feel loved, comfortable and important. Dogs always loved Daddy, too ... always. Every family dog we ever owned loved Daddy more than anyone else in the family. As did all the other dogs in the neighborhood or stray dogs on the street. I think those hounds were drawn to Daddy's gentle spirit ... and they sensed that he was a genuine dog lover by nature. I think he proved his own theory about kids and dogs ... my dad had a truly good and kind heart.

Those of you who know me well know that I've been in a valley lately, a valley so deep that I'm having a hard time seeing the path before me or the beauty of the mountains that I know surround me. A valley that has me questioning my mind ... my soul ... my heart. A valley that is dark ... a valley that is lonely ... a valley that is cold. But ... every night when I come home, there are two dogs who are so very happy to see me. Dogs who love me ... dogs who live to see me walk through the door. And on Wednesday nights, when I go to Awana at church to listen to the little kids say their Scripture verses ... those little kids are so very happy to see me. They hug on me and smile when I come in the room and high-five me on their way out the door.

Both my dogs and the little kids at church don't seem to notice that I'm sad. They don't judge me or tell me that my faith is weak. They don't run away because my health isn't always so great. They just love me. They just enjoy being with me. They just make me smile at a time in my life when my smile seems to be on a long-term sabbatical. Most of all ... they make me remember my dad's words ... "If kids and dogs love a person ... there's a good heart in that person somewhere."

Father God, help me to always remember ... my heart belongs to You. When I've lost my way ... when I can't find my heart ... help me to remember ... You are my heart, Lord, You are my heart.