How a Golden Retriever Helped My Faith Life

Like many a sinner out there, I am a selfish person.  I do not mean that I go out of my way to not share physical things, but when it comes to having "my time", I get fairly antsy if I do not get it.  My spiritual life reflects this in my intensive readings on solitude and the desert. 

Enter a Golden Retriever named Molly. 

Beforehand, my wife and I had only cats, and I think we all know about the extreme independence of cats.  By fluke, we acquired the fuzziest puppy a few weeks ago, and dubbed her Molly (Malone, that is).  I knew beforehand, of course, that this would be quite a huge decision, but little did I know how much it would really affect me.

Having this puppy in our home has taught me some very important lessons on patience and selflessness.  I am suddenly able to really place myself second when the needs of someone else need to be met.  I can fly out of bed at 2:30 in the morning without question because the dog needs to go to the bathroom, and somehow I don't get annoyed. 

But this is entirely strange for me.  Normally, I was the kind of person who would get kind of annoyed when someone else, be it animal or human, was really in the way of things.  I am not saying I am a surly person, but I generally revel in my time by myself, and so it's a very odd thing for me. 

Because of our puppy, I suddenly have become more forgiving of others, more patient with others, and a little more attuned to others needs.  I feel a little like a family man in a sense, and I have never felt like that in my entire life.  I'm not saying I want the white picket fence and the minivan, I just mean that I feel suddenly like I have a budding family.

All of this has come together in a big way for me.  In having our new puppy Molly, I have learned a tremendous amount about virtues that I have always struggled with, especially patience and putting oneself second for the needs of someone else.  I do think God gave us this pup for a reason. 

Just some thoughts.