Lessons from Tucker

This is Tucker. He's smelly and hairy. He loves to drop a drool covered tennis ball in your lap so you'll throw it for him--at least 100 times or so. If he so much as walks across the floor, he leaves black hair behind. Did I mention that he's stinky????  Anyhoo...Tucker is our 4 year old, much adored black lab. My family loves this dog.  Really.

A couple of days ago, I bought Tucker a new bed. This thing is nice, people..comfy, not hot and fleecy, big enough for him to stretch out.  Last night we put him in the laundry room, on his nice, new, comfy bed. Due to the whole hair thing, he's not allowed to roam around and spends the majority of his life outside, but we like to let him in at night. This morning Jay informed me that Tucker had spent the night near the base of the stairs--not on his nice, comfy doggie bed in the laundry room. I have to laugh.  He never could've gotten away with it, you can see the black hair on the tile. Oh, Tucker.

You see, Tucker cannot stand it if he isn't near his people.  His love and devotion for his family is so complete, his joy at being in our presence overflowing--his entire body wagging, not merely his tail. This dog personifies joy, devotion, and love. It may sound a tad cheesy, but it is entirely true.  Tucker left the laundry room to lie down by the stairs as we slept upstairs. He knows he isn't allowed up there so he chose the very closest spot to us.

My thoughts this morning?  Well, as I was reading in James about my Father of Lights, I looked down at the black dog hair spotting my floor and realized that I want to be that devoted to my Jesus, to find my joy in His Presence, to love and trust him so completely that nothing of this world's troubles matters as I draw into His grace and  find my rest in Him. Wholeheartedly devoted. Loving with everything in me. Real joy.

 Life lessons from Tucker...who knew?! :)

(Had to add a puppy picture because, well, what's cuter than a black lab puppy???)