Gracie

On a somewhat “lighter” note, today I want to introduce you to Gracie. Who is Gracie? She’s our 45 pound Labrador/Border Collie mix dog, and this month she celebrates her 4th birthday. It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing her home for the first time…….and then the fun really began! Don’t get me wrong, she’s not a terror; she’s really a sweetheart and oh so friendly!

God has truly given us all good things to enjoy, even our furry little family members. However, she’s not pampered like some pooches; in fact, she doesn’t stay in the house....anymore. Unfortunately, a few months after she joined our family, we had to change her living arrangements. Why? As a puppy she chewed on just about everything in the house and became a major wreaking crew, so now she has a very “spacious” home in the fenced backyard. What’s really funny is that she even has a very large dog house that we purchased for her; this turned out to be a complete waste of money because she never goes in it. I guess she just loves open spaces (or maybe she’s a little claustrophobic).

Some months before she joined the family, our girls begged us, “Give us a dog…Please!” But guess who takes take of Gracie…..no girls! My husband really spends more time with her than anyone; in fact, they are the best of buddies.

What inspired me to talk about Gracie today was a verse I thought about, a verse I discovered one day while reading through the book of Proverbs. I had read this verse before many times, but this particular day it just jumped out at me. The verse is Proverbs 12:10a, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal….”. It’s amazing, but we are commanded by God to take care of our pets.

I am sure that many of you dear sisters have precious pets, and you probably love them dearly; they really do become a part of the family. But the verse in Proverbs showed me that God truly has a word for us on everything, even regarding our cute little furry friends, and how gracious and kind of the Lord that He has given us these wonderful creatures to enjoy!