Lesson from Layla

Frightened by the sound she hears,
She shakes and runs, as it nears.
Not a ghoul or boogieman,
Just rain and thunder across the land.
TEG 7/21/11

My Layla puppy, a Beagle-Jack Russell mix, is scared to death of thunder. Tonight she was a big girl. I patted her back through the storm and for the first time she stayed still for awhile. After the thunder stopped and the rain calmed to sprinkles, I took her and my rat terrier Barky out on the patio. She ventured out into the showers, came back, shook it off and was done for the night. This is progress.

Layla is my real-life Pound Puppy. (Remember the toy by that name?) Layla came from the City's animal shelter. She was heartworm positive. The first round of treatment sent us to the emergency animal hospital late one night, where they didn't think she'd make it, but she did.

(Layla at only 12 lbs.)

She has a heart of gold, the appetite of a mutt and eyes that always say, "I just wanna be loved-please love me." And I do. I feel like I need to make up now for all the love she missed out on before. When she came to us she was 10 pounds under weight. She's 22 lbs now. From 12 to 22...a big difference for a little girl.

Layla's been with us since March. Five months of love has made her healthy, happy, spoiled and starting to gain some control over her fear of storms. Love is such a powerful tool in this world.

This makes me thinks of Corinthians 13:13:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

How many children would thrive with true love? How many people would not trudge through broken lives if only they were showered in love? The questions are endless and so are the possibilities.

In the verse above, Paul says that faith, hope, and love would remain; but of "these," for important reasons, love was the most valuable. I believe it is because it is more important to the welfare of others, and is a more eminent virtue. The powerful trick that love has is that by GIVING love, you FEEL love. What else can you GET by GIVING? Nothing. Love is the only thing that has that twist. What an awesome engineering job the Big Guy did creating that part of us.

(Layla at 22 pounds)

Well, that's my thoughts for the night. Looking back at this entry, I see exactly how my journaling works for me. I experience something, which sparks a little creative output (my 4 line verse at the beginning.) Then I start my journaling, which I always hope leads me to a little insight, reminder, pick me up, understanding or appreciation of the experience. Doesn't always happen, but the process is still enjoyed.  

Enjoy your night. Peace & LOVE!