Dog Days and Life Lessons

Most of you are aware of our new family addition...

Yes, she's cute and yes, she is too cuddly... However she is only 5 months old. So that means potty training is top priority!

Do you already see the fun we have... We take Dottie out every hour or so and chant, "Go potty Dottie, go potty" - wonderful rhyming isn't it?

But now onto the real story... Dottie had but once again potty'd inside the house. My youngest, nine-year-old Caleb, was tasked with the job of clean up. After the clean up, Caleb thoughtfully approaches me to share his insightful revelation...

"Mom?"

"Yes, Caleb."

"I think I know what it feels like to be a parent."

"How so, Caleb?"

"Well, I had to scold Dottie. I have to teach her the right thing (to go potty outside), but I didn't enjoy doing it. I really just wanted to hold her and cuddle her, but at that moment I knew she needed to be corrected, so she would learn where to potty."

"Yes, son I suppose that is a bit like being a parent. Why did you want to teach Dottie?"

"Because that is what you and Dad say we should do."

Well... it's always good for the kids to follow our model, even when they don't understand - understanding is illumined more over time and experience. However, I did proceed to share with Caleb that we chose Dottie to be part of our family-life and therefore we teach her because we love her and she is under our care - her survival and life depend upon our care and protection. And that on a much greater scale, we parents love and instruct because of our great love - never see discipline and instruction in opposition to love - but rather as evidence of the presence of love. Conversely, "being left to yourself, your own devices" is a sad and sober indicator of the absence of a loving, caring and protective authority-relationship.

Even after we clean up the pooh, parents still want to love and cuddle the little mess-maker.

And doesn't our Lord do the same? Time after time?

Ahhh! Another potty break is needed... We are off - Let's go potty Dottie!