Monday, July 9, 2012

"I Am Not An Animal!"

Any time you can get a picture of a dog in an Elizabethan collar, it's a good day. Here Kody sports an "e-collar" (which has nothing to do with electronic anything) as he had surgery recently. Kody really didn't seem to mind walking around with this thing. He maneuvered in his kennel run just fine, even managing to eat treats without slowing down. However, his arrival in his fancy accessory caused quite a reaction from the fellow kennel residents. Some paused when they walked past Kody. Some growled. Some acted terrified. Others didn't seem to notice. When we see someone who is outwardly very different, we often react, even involuntarily, to the difference. When I was in fourth grade, my grade school merged with a school for physically handicapped children. Being the completely naive and insensitive child that I was, I was weirded out pretty much every day. I did notice, however, that the younger children had no problems with the differences. It's like we have an innate sense of how things ought to be, but then are shaken when things are other than the norm. While it's important to be observant of differences, it's more important to push past our discomfort and come to a place of compassion. God is aware of all our defects, physical, mental, and spiritual. Somehow, in His divine way, He abides with us in love. Kody needed the surgery to stay healthy. The collar ensures he allows the wounds to heal properly. Sure, he looks funny, but it's a necessary inconvenience.

1 comment:

  1. The best part is, that all our differences will be gone in heaven. All our "defects", wether self-inflicted or given, will be removed from our bodies and we will be free of burdens. How wonderful is that? Thank you Jesus.

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