Forgiveness: A Great Concept!

In Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 14, we are reminded that if we forgive people when they sin against us, Our Heavenly Father will also forgive us.

It is probably no coincidence that this passage follows The Lord’s Prayer. This is the one passage of the Bible that most people everywhere know. This is the prayer that is often called The Perfect Prayer. On 9-11, The Lord’s Prayer was probably the most prayed across the United States.

Now, the concept of forgiving is pretty easy, once you really grasp it.

If someone cuts you off on the highway, you can let that bother you all day. Or worse, you could retaliate and cause a horrible accident. Or, you could just forgive that driver and think about how badly their day must be going!

If an acquaintance says something mean to you, you can dwell on that, hold on to that and no longer have that person as a friend.

Friends are precious gifts and we need to hang on to as many as we possibly can. So, when someone says something that hurts us, we need to stop and think how bad that person might have been feeling. We should consider how bad their day was going that they just absolutely had to tell us that the dress we were wearing made us look fat!

How insecure is a person who telephones to tell you that they did not appreciate something you said at last week’s meeting?

More importantly, how secure are you that you can just let it go and move on with the rest of the day?

The really beautiful thing about forgiving people is that it starts to make them wonder what it is about you that lets you forget what they said or did? It gives them new found respect for you.

Because our lives are hectic, perhaps there are more things that are said carelessly and therefore, more opportunities to forgive.

Once you start conscientiously forgiving people’s thoughtless comments and actions, you cannot believe how much nicer your life will be!

Just ask “Buddy”, our Lhasa, “Ginger”, the Poodle or “Bowser”, the Bulldog how good life can be! Did you ever notice how a dog never holds a grudge? We can learn much about forgiveness just by observing our dogs!

Buddy - A Fine Dog for Us!

When I came to Texas, I brought my last two homebred Shih Tzu who joined Hubby’s two cats and they all lived harmoniously. They were all seniors and a little more than five years ago, the last one, Harry, the Shih Tzu, died. (I had been in the Dog Fancy in Canada since 1977 and had shown, bred and/or owned Scotties, Lhasa Apso, Boxer, and Shih Tzu.)

We only lasted five weeks without any animals!
So, our search for a “new” dog sent us to the next town where a fine, established breeder had some puppies and a 10-month-old Lhasa Apso.

After carefully going over one puppy and the 10-month-old, we picked the older one. His color was beautiful; his body was sturdy and although he was a little nervous, he seemed very loving.

It took two men to get our reluctant fellow to an old wire crate waiting on the back seat of the car. He was tucked in for the ride back to our home. As he had no name, we selected “Buddy” as we drove home on Hwy. 59 through the rain.

Lhasa Apsos (named after the capital of Tibet) were originally guard dogs inside Tibetan monasteries. (Tibetan Mastiffs were on guard outside.) In North America, they were originally in the Terrier Group. Later, they were moved to the Non-Sporting Group. Although the term “clown-like” has been used to describe them, the standard called for them to be “chary of strangers”.

After two long nights, Buddy settled in. At nights, he stays by our bedroom door and during the day, he is in and out, enjoying our large backyard. Originally, he was not very obedient to commands but that has improved somewhat over time. He was happy and soon became very loving toward Hubby and me. For us, having Buddy is a joy. He keeps us hopping, alive and happy! After a while, Buddy started to enjoy company and was in fact, over-zealous and had to be tethered with a lead.

When we learned Ava was on the way, we knew Buddy needed a beautiful crate where he could be when the baby visited. Even at age 4, Buddy was not the dog for youngsters! We took him to PetSmart where we found a spacious fiberglass crate. We put a sheepskin, toys and water in there and Buddy knows that is his special place when Ava visits.

Many of the Retrievers are excellent breed choices for households with children. The Labrador, number one in AKC registrations for the past 10 years, would probably be my first choice for families, followed by the Golden Retriever (currently No. 4 in popularity) and the Boxer (currently No. 6 in registrations).

When choosing a dog breed for children, do go the the American Kennel Club website. Look for a dog breed that has an easy going temperament and is known to get along with children. In general, when you ask around, you will find that most sources will lead you to a medium-large dog breed.

www.akc.org