A Dog's Ministry

Ministry: An act, or acts of, kindness or charity (www.wordhippo.com)

Pets are very much a part of their owner's lives. Whether a bird, cat, fish, (and I have owned all of these), or even a turtle, we love our pets. Dogs are included. I have often read of stories of service dogs and how they "assist" their humans. They provide protection and entertainment, as well as companionship.

They say that a dog is “man’s best friend” and “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Well, I don’t know, I do love diamonds, but I must confess, I love our dog “Lainee”. Actually, she belongs to my family, but since I’m in the family, I consider her mine too! Lainee is a true joy to me. Lainie is a Rottweiler / German Shepherd mix. They’re called “Shepweiler”, Rottweiler Shepherd”, “Rotten Shepherd”, “Rottie Shepherd”, or even “Shottie”.

What is amazing is that I used to be afraid of Rottweilers. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. Understandably so, for they can be intimidating. But from the moment I met “Lainee-poo”, she won my heart. She welcomed me into her home with excitement. The timing of it all was much needed on my part. You see, I was just coming out of a very stressful time, learning of my diagnosis of cancer. It was quite a shocker for me and I needed the love and support of my family and friends. And Lainee, too! And boy did she provide it.

She sat down next to me as if she knew me all along. It made me wonder if what they say about dogs is true...that they can detect sickness in a person. I wondered if Lainee could detect my condition. Well, like I said, she welcomed me into "her home". In the mornings when I would come down for breakfast, she would greet me with much excitement, jumping all over me. I loved it, but I did have to be careful. I didn't want to get all scratched up by her nails.

At first I questioned myself and how to interact with her. We had to get used to each other. Eventually, we grew to know each other and be comfortable around each other. It made me feel good, protected. And dare I say it, even loved. I remember specifically one night I was really in pain from sciatica. I was moaning and groaning, having a hard time falling asleep. Lainee was laying on the floor in my room with me. I finally drifted off to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and I felt something in my bed near my feet. It was Lainee curled up asleep in my bed. She had never done that before. I was touched. I felt that she must've felt the need to comfort me while I slept. With a smile, I drifted back to sleep.

Now you may think "okay Zel, really?" You may even wonder "why did she choose the word ministry for a dog?" You know, I thought about it and it kinda makes some sense to me. When we think of ministers, we think of servants and the service they give. Now, this may be a bit of a stretch, but think about it. Our dogs provide a service to us. They protect our homes. They protect us. Service dogs are trained to lead the blind. Service dogs assist law enforcers, firefighters and the military. In fact, dogs even help farmers and herders with their livestock. They serve in a role as servants. So, I don't know, maybe it's not too far-fetched to think of them as having a ministry.

I'm interested in what you think. Maybe you don't see it this way. That's fine. But I'd love to hear what your thoughts are. As for me, I'm grateful for the Ministry of A Dog.

Zelphia D. (Zel)

CORRECTION: My apologies to "Lainee" and fam! I've just been corrected to the spelling of her name (Lainee, not Lainie - smile). I do believe in utilizing the correct spelling of one's name!

To subscribe click here.

To unsubscribe click here and indicate "unsubscribe" in subject line.