"Some Quick Lucy Lessons" - by Rev. Weldon Bares

Lucy is my eleven-month-old puppy. She is a big girl, almost 80 pounds. She has already taught me a few things.

When Lucy is in the house, “sneak eating” is impossible. She sees all, hears all, and smells all. If I’m eating something, she knows. She cannot be fooled. Lucy, of course, doesn’t watch the clock, but she knows when it is time to eat. She lets me know.

When I give her a treat, she’s convinced there is always more. I have to prove to her that I’m out of snacks, palms up like a blackjack dealer showing empty hands.

Lucy loves coming inside. She also loves going outside. She will repeat this routine — inside, outside, inside, outside — over and over, as if each trip is a brand-new adventure.

She also loves going to her doggy daycare. So much so that when we arrive, she pulls me forward like a team of oxen. At her weight, she can really move me along.

One recent morning, after I signed her in, I told her, “Now don’t worry, Lucy. I’ll be back to pick you up this afternoon.” She didn’t even glance back. She was already looking ahead to the next thing: playing with her friends.

Lucy sometimes barks at her reflection in the television, convinced she’s seeing another dog. The robot vacuum, however, is not a friend. It is some mysterious intruder that she does not trust or like.

But she is my girl, and I am learning from her.

God loves all creatures. God made each one with a purpose. I am beginning to see Lucy’s and maybe mine as well. She teaches me about enthusiasm. She helps me to greet each moment as a gift, and to keep looking forward to the next thing that God places in my path.