Phoebe and the Security Blanket

Phoebe is our 64 lb. doberman...

Phoebe is our 64 lb. Doberman. It came as a shock to some when we got her, probably because our two previous dogs were miniature dachshunds. When I'm asked why we got such a big dog my reply is, "I wanted a dog that wasn't allergic to truck tires like dachshunds seem to be". For all her perceived viciousness, Phoebe is actually one of the most "loving" dogs I've had. She is always wanting to be right up under one of us. It's a regular thing for the kids to spread out a blanket  on the couch so she can sit with them, for Beth to holler at the dog to "quit standing on me" while she sits in the recliner, or for me to gripe about having no where to put my feet because the dog is curled up at the foot of my chair. There are constant wet-nosed hand nudges, push you off your feet leg leanings, and sad-eyed food beggings at our house. But her favorite place to be is in our bed. This silly dog rolls over on her back in between us with her feet up in the air like a dead bug and proceeds to fall asleep. The term "goofy dog" comes out of my mouth quite often.



The week after Easter, we took a 4 hour trip to spend some time with my parents; of course Phoebe came with us. You would think that being in an enclosed vehicle with "her" 5 people would be heaven for her, but it wasn't. As soon as we got on the interstate and I stopped the frequent wheel turning required in city driving, her snout appeared between the two front seats. After a moment or two, I felt this wet nose jostle the back of my arm. Finally she had enough, and wormed her head under my arm and stared at me. When I shoved her back while dodging 18 wheelers, she sighed and did the same thing to Beth in the passengers seat. We fussed, the kids called her, but she wouldn't have any of it. She wants what she wants and that's it. I believe its because Beth used to always sit her on the console in between us when she was a puppy.

...a regular thing for the kids to spread out a blanket...

Finally, Beth pulled out the big guns. A rolled up yard stick, a fly swatter, a water gun you ask? Nope...hand sanitizer! We discovered this first with a jar of Vick's VapoRub. Beth was using the nasty stuff one night and had set the open container on the bed. Our naturally inquisitive dog went to investigate and freaked out. She started growling and dancing on the end of the bed while wrinkling her nose. Then Beth picked it up and held it out to her and Phoebe jumped off the bed, stood by the door, and glared at it refusing to get back on the bed until the jar was put up. To this day, if Beth opens up a jar of anything in the bed, Phoebe bolts up and stares waiting to high tail it out. Apparently hand sanitizer also offends her delicate sensibilities... but she licks her own behind. Anyway, Beth grabbed the travel bottle of Germ-X she keeps in the truck, flipped the top open, and let our misbehaving dog get a big whiff. Like magic, Phoebe appeared on the back seat next to our oldest son; she may have been standing, but at least she was where she was supposed to be. Problem solved...until she started her whining noise. The kids would pet her and talk to her, but nothing helped. She wanted so bad to be up next to Beth and I, but couldn't and it bothered her. Finally, Beth had the smart idea to have one of the kids reach back and get her her blanket.

...like Linus off the old Peanut's comic strip...

Let me give you the back story of the blanket. After Phoebe hit about 9 months of age, she started destroying whatever toys she had. At first it as just shaking it repeatedly until it tore up. Then she got smart about it. If the toy was made out of fabric she would use her teeth to pull at the stitching until she got a small hole started that she could stick her nose in. Next she would methodically pull the stuffing out making sure to scatter it around the room. Once that's done, she shreds the covering into little pieces. Regular fuzzy, squeaking dog toys last about 2-3 days. The heavy duty, double stitched, made out of Kevlar type dog toys last about 5-6 days. Tennis balls last no more than 30 minutes; she just keeps crushing them between her jaws until they pop. Now, if you've never shopped for dog toys, let me tell you they can be quite expensive.Beth and I are always on the look out for other, less expensive, options. One day, the store had some cheap fleece blankets on sale for a couple of bucks, so Beth grabbed a few for the dog. Yes, she rips them up, but they last more than a month. When she gets bored, she drags the blanket to her bed or by one of our chairs, holds it in her front feet, and chews a hole in it. When she's tired, its not uncommon to see her drag her blanket to her dog bed in the living room and curl up with it. She looks just like Linus off of the old Peanut's comic strip. So when our eldest found her current "Swiss cheese" blanket in the back of the truck and gave it to her, she grabbed it in her mouth, jumped up on the backseat next to him, and went to sleep curled up with her blanket. Goofy dog.

Phoebe is my dog. She wasn't a present for me, and she loves Beth and the kids, but she looks to me. I'm the master. When we're sitting down, she typically comes to me first. She'll lay down at my feet first. Yes, she cuddles with the kids, and yes she lays on Beth's lap in a recliner not built for two, but only after she sees if she can sit with me. I'm the master. Sometimes she'll get hyper and will begin playing too rough from being stuck inside when it rains. The kids will fuss at her; nothing. Beth will sit up and begin to scold her; a pause to consider, then right back to the pouncing and growling. But let me sit up in my chair, clear my throat, and lock eyes with her. All of a sudden she plops her tail down, the ears go down, and she looks at anything but me. When I go back to whatever I was doing, she slowly gets up and drags her pitiful self over to me with her stub of a tail tucked as far as it will go as if to apologize. I'm the master.

The term "goofy dog" comes out of my mouth quite often...

During His ministry, Jesus' teachings infuriated the religious leaders, mainly because He was upsetting the balance of everything they thought they knew. They were constantly trying to discredit Jesus or trap Him verbally in some way. In Matthew 22:34-38 we see one of their trap questions and Jesus' response. Go on, click on the link and read it. It's only 5 little verses.

What does loving with all your heart, soul, and mind look like? I'm sure I would get many, varied answers if I were to survey people in my church, not to mention people in the community. But let's be honest, we tend to filter questions about love through our emotions. We start muddying the waters with gray areas and feelings that may or may not have anything to do with a command from God. When I read these verses honestly, without adding my own desires and emotions in, I think of my dog. It's not the perfect analogy, but it gives a startling starting point as I ponder that question for myself.

My dog searches for me. If she knows I'm home, she wants to know where I am. She follows me. I can't count the times I've seen the tip of a black nose under the door of the bathroom. She waits for me. Phoebe has learned that I am the boss, so she waits for me to either go through a door first, or tell her she can go by herself. She seeks my forgiveness. I'll never know for sure how much she understands, but when she gets in trouble I could almost swear she comes to me in apology. She seeks my attention and approval. She is always trying to be rubbed or patted, to the extent that Beth makes fun of her saying, "Love Me!". She is excited when I show up. I leave the house at 7:00 am and come for lunch around noon. When I get to the door, I can hear her nails clacking on the wood floor on the other side as she waits for me to open the door. When I finally get it open, there she sits. She trembles with excitement, begging me to pet her so she can lick the first layer of skin off my hand. She doesn't like it when I go away. I'll lay in bed and cover my head with the sheet to mess with her sometimes. I can feel her attention on me. At first she sits up straight and stares at where my head should be. Then she worms her way up to where I am and prods at the sheet with her nose. Sometimes she'll start to whine, but she always begins to root around, like a pig in the dirt, trying to get under the sheet to find me. When she succeeds in getting under the cover and finds my face, she buries her head against my neck and under my chin and licks the fool out of me.

...she looks to me, I'm the master...

I don't believe that dog's have the same level of understanding we do. I also believe that we are set above animals and have an intrinsic value greater than them because we are made in God's image. With that being said, shouldn't our love and devotion for our Master be so much greater than a dog for his master? Do you search for God like that? Do you wait for His command? Do you seek His forgiveness, His approval, His attention? Are you excited when He shows up, or is it inconvenient? Do you look forward to seeing Him again, or is it a dreaded thing you have to do? Do you miss Him when He is gone? What is your "security blanket" when things are rough and you don't know what to do? Is it the Bible He gave you, or do you turn to family, friends, work, and personal gratification? Do you even know Him? My dog is only my dog if she is my dog. The dog that lives across the street is not my dog. It doesn't matter if it runs in my yard, plays with my kids, or even gets the occasional treat from my hand. That dog belongs to someone else, it's not my dog. Just because you live in this world, it doesn't mean that God is your Master or that Jesus is your Savior. Coming to church, doing good things, and trying hard doesn't get us to heaven. The truth is, there will be a lot of "good" people who won't be in heaven simply because they never made God their Master through the death and resurrection of Jesus. They didn't love Him with all of their heart, soul, and mind.

Jesus spoke this verse as a command. It's not a suggestion, an option, or a "see if it works for you" idea. This command should permeate every corner of our life. Does it?