You don’t have to be around me very long to know that I LOOOOOOve my dogs. I have two of them and they are delightful, most of the time. #1 dog is Sadie, she is a Corgi/Lab mix, 13 years old and weighs over 50 pounds; her coat is short and shiny black. She is smart, compassionate and kind. Sadie was rescued from the shelter nine years ago and is the perfect dog, almost. She looks at me with joy, throws back her head and howls, saying, “Thank you for all0wing me to live with you in a life of luxury”.
And then there’s, Ellie, dog # 2. Ellie is a Yorkie/Mini dachshund mix, 3 years old and weighs 5 pounds and has a long black and silver coat. She is sweet, smart, stubborn, mischievous, adorable and did I say stubborn? Ellie has the philosophy that she owns the world and allows you to live in it.
Although,I think that my dogs are the best, I must admit that even they have negative aspects to their nature. While Ellie is stubborn and hates to mind, she is also quit the charmer. When she has misbehaved and is scolded, she has a way of looking at you with those big black eyes, jumping into your lap, putting her paws on your face and patting, as if to say, “I’m sorry, mom, but it really wasn’t that bad, was it?” My heart melts, she gets hugs, all the while, I just know she’s saying, “That’s another one for me, boy am I good”.
As wonderful as Sadie is, she has one bad trait, even though it is natural for her breed, and that is barking. She barks incessantly while outside chasing squirrels, keeping intruders from her domain, wanting food and to go to bed. It is a harsh bark, which I find most irritating. No amount of scolding or her desire to please me, keeps this dog from voicing her opinion.
What does my telling you about my dogs have to do with you? Glad you asked. Have you ever considered that maybe our bark is irritating to God , as well as to those around us? What bark? How about our comments when something at church doesn’t go our way. A decision the Pastor, his staff, the Deacons, Trustees, Finance Committee, School Board, Sunday School teachers, anyone in the position of leadership makes? We don’t like it, we strongly disagree with it, either with the decision itself or with how it is implemented. Our emotions become strong and we begin to bark. Our barking may start out simply; we discuss it with our spouse or best friend, just “getting their opinion” of the matter. Then our bark becomes louder and irritating, as we “get the opinions” of all of our family members, our other friends, our co-workers, etc. Pretty soon, we think and talk of nothing else, it has become our obsession and our first topic of conversation. I believe that conversation becomes discord, when the number of persons in the discussion exceeds one. Any disgruntlement we may have within our church family, needs to be discussed with God first. We need to learn to allow Him to lead our thoughts and to “Think on these things”. We need to remember that if we are not the ones making the descisions, then we are also not the ones who have to answer for them. I don’t know about you, but I think that instead of barking, I’ll learn use my inside voice.
About Barb Harville