Ephesians 6:5-7 (NIV)
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and
fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them
not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were
serving the Lord, not people,
We have 2 dogs One a Dalmatian and the other a Husky.
Our Dalmatian, Diamond, has many positive attributes.
When I come home from working, she is waiting for me at the door and greets me
with her vocal welcome and her tail wagging eagerly. She will chase the sticks I throw for her, and
if she feels like it, she will even bring them back to me. She usually comes
immediately when I call her . Sometimes, "immediately" can have a
number of different meanings, especially if there's another dog around, a squirrel
or a particularly good smell that might not be there next time and has to check it out now.
In general, it can truly be said that Diamond enjoys life
to the fullest. One of her best traits is that she loves her people. In fact
she thinks of her family as her responsibility to have us take care of her.
I can say many good things about Diamond, but I can’t say
that she works. But then, dogs don't work! It's not in their nature!
Or is it? Now we look at our other dog Dakota my son’s
Husky.
Up in the far north you will find several breeds of dogs
that are renowned for their work ethic. We generally lump them all together
under the name "Husky", but if you want to be precise, you will find
the Siberian Husky, the Alaskan Malamute, the Samoyed, the Eskimo dog and the
Greenland dog!
These dogs are bred to work, and when not working, they
generally don't move all that much. They want to conserve their energy for the
important things of life!
What's amazing is that the blood vessels of these dogs
are quite different from dog breeds of the south. This permits them to stand,
run and sleep on snow for long periods of time without frostbite. They don't
even suffer from the "frozen-paw-stuck-in-the-snow" scenario! In
addition, they have the ability to eat less than other dogs their size, all the
while being able to work much harder!
Another attribute of the husky is that it does not
require shelter, even in sub-Arctic temperatures. They have extremely thick
fur, and just like in the movie, "Eight Below", they curl up with
their noses under their tails and let the snow bury them. This provides them
with much needed insulation and shelter. They even have thick fur growing
between their toes, providing them with the insulation they need for their
feet! This can be seen as Dakota tries to make the turn on our wooden floor to
get out the back door as he slides around the corner.
The coat of the husky actually lies in two layers: The
soft undercoat, which provides the warmth that they need; and the silky outer
coat, which gives protection against wind and water. It could be said that they
come completely equipped for the winter! No winter boots for them!
Huskies generally can carry at least half their body
weight, and they can pull twice their weight over miles and miles of snow and
ice. When used to pull a sled, the husky will assume a specific, steady, fast
trot that they can keep up for hours with very little effort. Some have been
observed, for short distances, to haul up to 2000 lbs.
Of course huskies do have their downsides. They aren't
really known to be the "Dalmatian" kind of dog. They love to be
petted, but most huskies have a streak of independence, much like their cousin
the wolf. Although they work hard, most of them refuse to fetch, track or do
little tricks. But if you look at it from their point of view, you would
understand. After all, they are bred to work, not to be clowns! That would be
far too humiliating!
We can learn a lesson from each of our dogs: the `Dalmatian'
types, who enjoy life and love people; and the `husky' types, who work to their
full potential. God asks us to do both! To love people as Jesus loves them, to
enjoy the life He has given us, and to work to our full potential, as if we are
working for God!
If we have both of these attitudes, there is no way we
would ever find the time (or the reason!) to grumble and complain. Wouldn't
that go far towards attracting more people to God?
Dear Lord, thanks for the lessons that You put all around
us. Help us to have our eyes and hearts open to them. As we see from the Dalmatian
and the Husky help us enjoy the life You have given to us and to do the work that
You have before each of us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
