New Life

The boys wanted a dog. The begged and begged for a puppy but I just couldn't bring myself to go through all the training and the mess. Yes, puppies were cute, but they were potentially destructive and time consuming and I knew I would be the main caregiver. Forget all the promises that they would walk her and feed her and love her, etc...I knew! It would fall to me and I didn't have the time.

But, I caved. We were out shopping one day and we noticed a large group of people gathered in front of Petsmart, so being nosy we wandered over and saw dogs. Lots and lots of dogs and all of them to be adopted. Yippee...now I had three young boys with their big eyes all begging me to get a dog. Even Dad pitched in and I said, "We'll think about it" stalling for time.

Passing quickly by the umpteen yapping Black Lab puppies, we noticed a yellow dog lying in the sunshine. She was scabbed and scratched and she smelled to high heaven. We walked on by, got to the end of the lineup and began to walk back. We came back by the the yellow dog just as an enthusiastic toddler fell full weight on top of it. I held my breath, waiting for the dog to bite or bark or snarl, but the dog picked up her head and looked at the little girl, put her head back down and resumed napping. This was MY KIND OF DOG! I didn't want drama or high maintenance, but wanted a good fit for our young family and if a dog could withstand a body slam from a toddler, I needed that dog.

We bought her. She had been a farm dog and was scratched from fighting for food with the other farm dogs. She had burrs in her fur, and smelled of skunk...really, really smelled of skunk. She limped because her right paw had been injured some way. Her name was listed as Cletus. Yes, Cletus! We signed the paperwork and brought her home and she became ours.

Washed, and washed again, she gradually lost the skunk smell. We picked off the burrs, cared for the wounds, got her a new collar, and set about naming her. All the boys got a vote and we put them in a hat and drew out Daisy. She has been Daisy ever since and Cletus is but a distant memory.

She's lying beside me this morning, enjoying the life of leisure she leads and I am reminded of our new life in Christ. I know I had nothing to recommend me when Jesus chose me. I bore the scars of the poor choices I made and I had the stench of sinfulness around me, but the Lord did not pass me by. He picked me up, loved me, gave me a new life and a new name and I am his child forever. What a wonderful day when I was able to live a new way and with a new Master.

I know, in the way dog owners do, that Daisy appreciates her home. She sits at my feet and licks my hands and gazes into my eyes with her big brown ones. She follows me everywhere and longs to be with me, staying close to be ready to jump when I jump. In her old life, she had to fight for everything but now she is at peace. She knows we will provide and trusts us to care for her because she's learned we are trustworthy, just as I have learned that God is trustworthy.

Daisy is a rescued dog and I am a rescued human and we are both so thankful.