Tag Archives: friendships

Treasured Relationships

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Walking Bee looks a lot different from when we walked Carl. Carl always led and under no circumstances did he need assistance. He could walk over five miles and hardly break a sweat.  Bee on the other hand, can only walk a couple hundred yards in the heat before needing to stop and catch her breath.

So today, my husband decided to pull out the doggy stroller so Bee could complete a walk around the neighborhood with us. And sure enough after only a few minutes, we had to place her in the stroller, and tie her down so she could enjoy our company.

In today’s world with everything calling for our attention, we might need to be tied down so we can enjoy each other’s company. So often we are distracted by good things but miss out on the best things that God has provided.

One of the most valuable treasures that God has given to us are our relationships with people who have common spiritual values. People who are willing to encourage us in our weakest moments without judgment or condemnation. People who feel comfortable giving us advice when we are fighting our own personal battles.  

Proverbs 20:21 states, “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”

Proverbs 24:25-26 states, “The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.”

When we have a common purpose and are willing to listen to the advice of people we can trust, we will be victorious in the end.

Dogs are not able to give advice but they are able to extend an undeniable sense of love and compassion for their two legged friends. And since Carl has passed, Bee has been there to show us lots of love, even if it is from the inside of a doggy stroller.

Unintended Doors

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Since the season has recently changed from winter to spring, Carl has made his way outside to frolic among nature. There is not a lot of wildlife for my little Frenchie to interact with but when a squirrel makes his presence known, Carl is sure to do his best to chase him up a tree or over the fence.

Bee, my other Frenchie, has just as much ambition to clear the backyard of unwelcomed guests as Carl. So one Thursday afternoon when both little pups saw the prey from afar, a chase began that ended with Bee falling and breaking a bone in her paw.

At first, I didn’t know if it was broken or just bruised, but after two days of limping and not putting weight on it, we took her to the vet where the x-ray showed a clear break. Bee was given a cast and we were given directions to wrap the cast to keep it from getting wet when she would go outside.

We have an electric doggy door which Bee has been using for several years.  Her collar has an electrical transmitter that lets the door know that she is near and will automatically open. But since we are supposed to keep her paw dry, we have taken the collar off to protect her paw from getting wet.

Bee doesn’t understand why this door is not responding to her presence. She has begun to give up on the door but every once in a while, Carl will trigger the door and Bee will slip through.

How often have we slipped through a door that wasn’t intended for us? This is why it is so important to closely monitor the friends we keep. I can remember in my past the times that I followed someone through a door that God never intended for me.

Proverbs 12:26 states it perfectly: “The righteous should choose his friends carefully. For the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

My past has been sprinkled with doors that I slipped through because of the desperate need for acceptance.  Times that I didn’t trust God enough to complete me with people that hungered for His righteousness.

Just last night, Bee followed Carl out into the backyard without our knowledge. When she returned, her cast was wet and moldy. And just like her cast will decay, our hearts will also wane from God if we keep going through the door that is not intended for us.