Flourishing Life

“God, make me the person my dog already thinks I am.” – Meme

Dogs are great! Everyone who owns a dog loves coming home after a long day to be greeted by this tail-wagging bundle of fur. Dogs excitedly welcome us! They think we’re awesome because we feed them, play with them, and provide shelter. Dogs offer unconditional love.

Some anthropologists believe domesticated dogs played a key roll in the origins of civilization by their usefulness in herding livestock. I doubt you could prove such a theory, but there’s no doubt we develop deep bonds with our canine companions. They also offer health benefits: they lower our blood pressure, decrease stress, and elevate psychological well-being. Who doesn’t love a dog? (Well, maybe the mailman, but that’s a story for a different day!).

Dogs think the best of us. How can I live up to my dog’s opinion of me? Here’s an animal that thinks I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. Am I? Am I loyal? Am I caring? Am I compassionate? Am I worth the effusive praise my dog heaps upon me? Probably not. Yet, here he is, so happy to see me!

Try to live up to the hype. Be more caring, more compassionate, more faithful. Who knows? Perhaps God's using your dog to help you become a better version of yourself.