Love Like a Dog

Love Like a Dog

Ginger

Meet Ginger. She is a Red Heeler (as the vet says, a "glorified dingo") dog about 7 years old. Before this post can mean what I would like it to, I have to give you some background on Ginger's arrival into our family, and that starts back last summer when we said goodbye to our beloved yellow lab, Remi, who Aunt Elizabeth helped end up in our hearts and home in Louisiana. He was hit by a truck on an irrigation canal road. We still had Addie's small dog, Camper, who she had adopted from the animal shelter in Alabama where my mom worked. We were missing a large dog, a truck-riding, farm buddy. So one day while I was browsing a little antique furniture store in our little town, I was loving on the owner's rescued dog, Baby, and she asked me if were looking for another dog. I said that we were. She told me that there was a Red Heeler staying with a lady in an apartment across the street from her shop, and that the lady, marginally homeless and pretty disabled, was moving out of state and was only doing a short-term foster for the dog. So Addie, Ainslee and I headed across the street to this apartment. And I do not mean a posh apartment in a mixed-development community. I mean a ground level apartment beside a bar and movie rental store and under another story of the pretty run-down looking building. We knocked and a nice lady with a terrible limp greeted us. She explained that Ginger had been a stray, and a man she knew said to the people who found her that he would gladly take her in if her owner was not found. So he took her after several days. Then not too long after that, the man who took her had to go to jail for 28 months for repeated DUI offenses. When the police came to his apartment to take him to jail, Ginger was left behind in his apartment. A few days after the arrest, neighbors heard a whining coming from his apartment but had no idea Ginger was still there. They essentially broke into the man's apartment, thus freeing sweet Ginger, who had not done anything destructive over three days with no person, no food and no water. So the lady in the apartment with the limp took her in but had to move in about a week. We offered to take her, but she thought the DUI man wanted her back after his time was served, but I told her that if she was abandoned like that and our family (MY KIDS AND THEIR HUGE HEARTS) took her in, there would be no going back as she deserved better than that! She told us she would call the DUI guy's sister and find out if that was okay, and when we pulled back into our driveway, she called to tell me we could have her. So I turned around and went right back, and she has been with us since.....July, I think. It was during one of the two fair weeks for our family. My parents were here helping with Garrett, Grouchy was out of town, and I was gone for all the daylight hours for the next week with Addie and Ainslee at the fair, so it went like this: "Mom and Dad, here is the new dog. I know nothing but that she is sweet and appears to be in great health. I will be leaving for the week, so would you guys please care for this new dog on top of caring for the three cats, Addie's dog, five horses and two cows. Great, thanks!!"

Ginger, previously 'Skip,' is an absolute sweetheart!!! Grouchy claims she spends 23 hours a day under our bed, but I contest that she might spend about 3 of those on HIS side ON our bed when we are away....but don't tell him I said that!!! Otherwise, she is my shadow. Follows me everywhere!!!! Bathroom, bedroom, chores, feeding animals, going for walks or jogs, to the kitchen, the bathroom, the barn, the bathroom.........you get the picture. As I type, she is lying by my feet, watching my every move so she doesn't get left behind somehow! She never really makes any noise, and even when Grouchy harasses her and uses his "BAD DOG low voice" on her, she just slinks over to him and rolls onto her back. Her FAVORITE thing is to have a human pet her, but don't dare quit as she will nudge her cold nose under your hand, arm, leg, elbow, to get you to start again! And we seriously think she would climb into my body if she possibly could! She just wants to be that close!!!

So it got me thinking how unconditional this love it. And I have heard people say DOG is the word GOD spelled backwards because God made them such special creatures, but I am seeing such amazing love and sweetness from this little Dingo!!! Just when I think I am going to get disappointed, God is there nudging me with people, scripture, other's words, or just amazing moments or occurrences. He is ALWAYS here, never wanting to be away from me. And like Ginger would LIKE to be, God does live inside of me......within each of us. He never leaves us, even when we shoo Him away and take him for granted. Even when we use our shaking fist to communicate with God, he comes to us peaceful, not angry or enraged as He well-deserves to be. He is under our bed, nudging to be given attention throughout our day, and yes, in the home of the DUI driver, soon-to-be homeless lady leaving town after finding a home for a sweet dog, and in each moment of our lives ever day.

So God is much like DOG, of course not literally, but in all of the endearing, kind, loving, unconditional ways we need Him. And if a DOG bites you, maybe reconsider it might be a divine message!!!!!

Godspeed and Bow Wow!!!
Clara-Leigh