DEVOTIONAL FIVE
MEETING MY NEW COMPANION
Show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. 1 Samuel 20:8
Sita stood tall and proud as she gazed at me. An exquisite expression crossed her furry face as her brows furrowed. She had a look of sweetness and softness that drew me to her. Her face was not flattened like a typical lab, but finely sculptured and dainty looking.
Her nose wasn’t the typical black nose seen on most dogs, but a sunburned pinkish color. Her face was perfect, except for one little wart on the side which added to her attractiveness. Instead of looking ugly, it gave her a signature look of a movie star.
Sita’s most compelling feature was her unusual deep eyes. The color was not quite brown or green, but brilliant amber, and they swallowed me in her gaze. As I stared into the beautiful face with expressive eyes I was smitten.
Sita and I exercised around the obstacle course for over an hour. She obeyed every command and was eager to please me. Her quiet and calm personality was obvious.
I walked over to Marlys and said, “She’s getting tired. And I am getting very attached to her. I do not want to work with her any longer because I will not be able to give her up. I have fallen in love with her. Who does she belong to?”
Marlys smiled and answered, “You now.”
Tracy, the foster mother for Sita, and Marlys, had both been watching our interactions to see if Sita and I worked well together. It was important that I be gentle, yet firm. She had been trained to be sensitive to sounds and if I was too loud or abrupt, I could upset her.
It is very important that the human and the dog have personalities that match. I am easily hurt and do not like people yelling at me, so I understood Sita.
God in his wisdom knew that I worked with both children and adults and did a lot of programs in the community. The private practice where I worked counseled many foster children who had been abused. I also taught part time in a community college. On my application I wanted Circletail to understand that I needed a dog that would be calm, and not fluster easily, because of all of the interactions that I had on a daily basis. It was like God had read my application.
Marlys explained to me that some breeds of dogs look more serious and scary, especially for children. She knew Sita had a soft look that would not frighten the clients I worked with. They had been convinced that Sita would work well with me, but wanted to be sure our personalities meshed.
Once they observed my handling of Sita, they decided we were a match. We were about to be forever partners.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15: 12-13
