Sadie and Sis

“One who has unreliable friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 NIV

We added a dog to the menagerie at our house this past week. My wife now takes care of two dogs, two cats and two Claiborn’s. Last year we had to put down two dogs, a 13-year-old yorkie poo and a 16-year-old lab. Both were tough. After a bit of time our daughter started sending us links to dogs available for adoption. This is the same daughter who decided to skip giving hints as to what she might want for her birthday or Christmas. She sent us links. All we had to do was click and purchase. Effective. But when it came to a new dog, she stepped it up a gear.

One of her dogs is a pit mix that is the most laid-back creature you may ever meet. Her other is the most spastic German Shepard/mutant Ninja/Greyhound mix you will ever see. That combination sort of describes Logan and her a bit. Eventually she and I went to the Humane Society to look at a chocolate lab they had. They have this beautiful outdoor area to introduce people to potential pets. That dog ran full speed for about 30 minutes. Too much energy. We walked back in the building and there sat our new dog. Sis is a pit mix around 2 years old and literally may be the sweetest dog we have had. We knew immediately.

Life was fine. Everyone loves Sis. Then my sister came in town to visit and brought her dog along. It took just a little introducing and boom – best friends for life. They ran the entire time. When they left, Sis sat by the door and whined for two days. They came back a month later and the same thing happened. Except this time Sis never stopped whining. We suddenly had a dog with depression. If you know my wife, you know that if someone in her circle, even the dog, is suffering it’s game on. We are fixing it.

Here comes Aly again. She sent us links to dogs from about a three state area. Last week I was working near Wichita and she found one. I need to mention that this happened on my wife’s birthday. I know I should not have left town on her birthday, but that’s a different story. But suddenly it occurred to us that we could give my wife a dog on her birthday.

This is the most impressive Humane Society I have ever seen. The dogs had play groups, therapy groups, socialization groups and who knows what else. They had a pet supply store. I looked at quite a few candidates. You can spend time with them inside or outside and they cleaned each area between each dog. It was impressive. The short version, I ended up calling my wife to let her pick since there were so many options. My “Pet Adoption Specialist” ended up suggesting a dog I had not considered. He was just listening and good at his job. In walked Sadie. I knew immediately.

Now here is the point. I had a dog at home so lonely she was pacing the floor whining wanting a friend. I drove three hours with a dog taken from a cage, albeit a nice cage, but captive. You would think this would have been easy. Nope. Aly is the dog whisperer in our house, so she directed the show. It started rough. Sis let out a bark/yelp about 10 levels louder than I have heard. Sadie responded. If we had just let them go, they would have torn each other up. Literally. Interestingly, they had to smell each other’s butt a few dozen times, they had to spar a few times and they had to get used to each other. After a while we set them loose. They ran side by side for two hours and they have not been more than about three feet apart since. Best friends.

This all got me thinking. We judge each other. We fight. We assume things based on appearance sometimes. Those assumptions are often proven wrong once we get to know people. To get along we have to get past the initial struggle. I have been blessed with friends. I know some fantastic human beings. But the best bonds are with people who have shared struggle in some form or another. Some of that struggle was mine, some theirs, sometimes both. I do not want to literally smell anyone’s butt, but my closest friends know what my life crap smells like, if you know what I mean, and I know theirs. We all know people living in cages, nice cages, but captive still. Are you? We all know people who are lonely. Are you?

Do you have friendships forged through struggle? How often do you let initial sparring ruin the chance for something more beautiful? Most of my close friends should have gone the other way at some point, but they stayed.

Are you the one who is lonely? If you are and have no people – Jesus would be a great place to start. He is always available. But if you do not know how to find Him or if you are in serious struggle with no help in sight, reach out – to me or someone, please.

Challenge: Make some friends, real ones. Let them get to know you so well they can smell what you are going through. Get to know them so well you can smell what they are going through. Life is better with friends.

Rick Claiborn