Spritual Lessons From Sparky!

“You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, ‘Wow, you’re right! I never would’ve thought of that!’”—Dave Barry

Yes, that’s Sparky!

In August of 2021, the Lord "answered" a prayer that my family and I had been praying for a long time. Although I never thought it would be the "gift that keeps on giving”-I'll get to that later. We began praying that the Lord would bless us with a dog (for free) as our son was getting old enough to appreciate the joy that animals bring into our lives. We definitely couldn't afford to pay $2,000 to $3,000 for a furry friend, and since the Lord knows every dog who needs a loving family, He was going to make sure we got exactly what we were looking for, right? Don't worry, we weren't picky, no, not at all ... ahem, not true. Well, honestly, I was the picky one. My list of must haves went something like this: The dog needed to be a man's dog (at least in my estimation), big and brawny, able to leap tall buildings in one bound, armed with a ferocious and intimidating bark, barrel-chested, oh, about 3 feet at the withers, and striking to look at. Not much to ask for. Don't you think?

At times I’m prone to view scripture in light of “big things” vs. “small things”. For example, Isaiah 55:8-9, a passage most of us are very familiar with says:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

There's no disagreement there. However, I tend to think of this verse in terms of the Trinity, His omniscience, His power, His love, etc. But I rarely think about it from the perspective of a loving Father who is teaching me lessons that I do not want to learn. After all, He knows best. His ways are far higher than ours. And to top it all off, He uses the most unlikely of "methods" to do so. In this case even a dog.

Needless to say: What we often ask the Lord to do isn't necessarily what He thinks is best for us. In fact, the Lord knows exactly what it is that we need in order to grow and mature in our walk with Him. Whatever it is that will make us a better reflection of who He is to those around us and far beyond. I can't say that I'm necessarily fond of these methods or tools that He chooses to use. They reveal how much work I'm really in need of. I've probably said this a million times before. And I'll continue to say it, especially considering how fast the years are going by. The older I get, the more I see the depths of my depravity and my constant (minute by minute) need for my Savior, His love, His patience, His gentleness, His kindness, and most of all, His amazing forgiveness! However, I have to give credit to Dr. David Hocking for opening my mind to the reality of such a "revelation".

COVID DOG

We all remember those pathetic lock-down days, right? Well, due to those evil, nefarious, dictatorial and destructive COVID lock-downs, many people found themselves at home for far too long with not much to do. Many decided that what they really needed was a “companion” to help pass the long days of inactivity. So, pet sales went through the roof. Dogs and cats alike.

Once these “pet owners” realized that animals don’t self-care for themselves and require maintenance and love, they quickly figured it’d be best to ditch the furry friends. After all, God forbid they’d have to actually be responsible pet owners right? Many pets ended up at shelters, quickly overcrowding them. Thus, many shelters became what we now know as “kill shelters”. Due to the overwhelming influx of animals, limited staff and space, they had no choice but to begin euthanizing the animals. The other cowardly way out was to take the animal to an alley, open field or park and just “release” them there—in other words abandon the animal in hopes that someone would rescue them. I have nothing Christian-like to say about these people who engaged in such moronic behavior.

This is where Sparky comes in. After many years of diligent prayer for a family dog, our prayers were “answered” in August of 2021 in the form of Sparky. He was one of those COVID animal discards. It was during a summer swim practice that one of the team moms went for a walk in the park adjacent to the pool facility and came back with a puppy in her arms. Many of the parents knew we were in the “market” for a dog. This mom quickly approached me with a small, black and white, mutt of a dog in her arms and asked me if I wanted the dog.

My first response was “No way!”. I probably should’ve gone with my first instinct. But, by the end of practice that day I found myself driving home with a “new” family dog. We quickly named him Sparky. It’s very fitting for him, trust me! I never knew though that the Lord would use Sparky to “teach me” lessons about myself I didn’t want to learn.

ALL’S WELL… I THINK

At first, things went seemingly well. We figured that Sparky was about 4.5-5 months old when he came to us, in that he lost his puppy canines a few weeks after. We realized he had come from an abusive home for various reasons. Sparky took to us quickly and us to him.

We were told to get him neutered at the one year mark in order to avoid any hormonal developmental issues. So, we waited. Then, we were advised to beware of neutering because it could lead to health issues for the dog down the line. So, we decided to let Sparky keep his “manhood” or better yet, his “doghood”.

And that’s when “it” happened…the leg lifting began! The ‘marking’ was on. And this is the beginning of my lessons, especially in light of the fact that I love to keep my yard super clean—rain or shine!

Sparky will mark anything in the backyard: trash cans, any wall that suits him, the extra large flower pot, the garden benches…anything! And, to make matters worse, though we have a large grassy area in our yard, he doesn’t like the feeling of grass on his paws and would rather utilize the cement portion of the yard to do his thing during the “cold” winter months of Southern California. For the past three years, I’ve been spraying bleach and hosing down the yard in multiple areas. Sometimes, I will hose down the entire yard. This has been going on now for the past three years. It’s a battle I’ve yet to win no matter what I try. And trust me, we’ve tried it all: Enzyme sprays, white distilled vinegar, training, crating, taking him to relieve himself in the desired areas 3-4 times a day, etc. I’ve exhausted my avenues. So, I gave up. Sparky’s gonna keep being Sparky and I’m gonna have to continue my cleaning countermeasures.

They say never to pray for patience. I’ve known that for decades now, but, I guess I must have prayed for it at some point in my much earlier ‘naive’ years. I surely forgot, but the Lord didn’t. Henceforth Sparky! I must admit that I’ve wanted to give him away, not once or twice, but multiple times. Though a shelter was never an option, giving him up for adoption sounded just fine to me. But no matter how many times I was at the end of my rope with Sparky’s antics, I just could never get myself to give him away. Let me tell you why.

I’ve come to realize, begrudgingly, that I am a lot like Sparky. The Lord made sure to remind of it. He’s used this 25 pound mutt to teach me more about myself than I cared to know or find out—because I don’t like what I see.

LESSON ONE - Unconditional Love

Sparky has given me an insight into the unconditional love of our Lord. I can't tell you how many times I've come out into the yard in the morning and had to clean up 5-8 Sparky leg lifts all over the place, only to find myself telling my wife that I didn't want this dog anymore. Sparky's departure was something I was adamant about. The sooner the better. And then the Lord begins to say to me: "Haven't I forgiven you a thousand times for your sins? Didn't I die on the cross to forgive you? Do you remember the parable of the unjust steward? This little animal is a small picture of the imperfections of your own life. But in all your faults and shortcomings, I would never think of abandoning you or giving you away. I have promised never to leave you nor to forsake you.

And just like that, through Sparky, God reminds me of how much He loves me and how much I am to love Sparky in spite of his failings.

Sparky exemplifies how to love unconditionally. This is yet another reminder from the Lord that this is who we are to be as believers in Jesus Christ! We are to be characterized by a life of love for one another. Love unconditionally. That's a tough one!

LESSON TWO - Unmerrited Grace

Most of the time, Sparky does well for some time. Then, out of the blue, he'll go back to being Mr. Marker again, both No. 1 and sometimes he'll leave a No. 2, just because. Of course, I go back to my "give the dog away" antics. I get upset. I forget how patient the Lord is with me...and believe me, I am always grateful for His grace! It doesn't take long for the Lord to remind me that Sparky was a gift from Him. And as much as I want to give him away because of his marking behavior, I just can't bring myself to do it. I feel as if the Lord is asking me, "Would you so carelessly give away what I've given you? I am using Sparky to refine and mold your character so that you will be a better reflection of who I Am. You need to be more like me when you're with Sparky, son! Do not forget to extend grace to him as I do to you - not just once, but as many times as it takes.

Let me tell you that it’s been the biggest challenge and eye opener ever!

LESSON THREE - Forgive And Forget

The second thing I've learned is that no matter how mad I get at Sparky for his 'marking' shenanigans, he's always ready to forgive and forget in the blink of an eye. When I call his name, he quickly runs to me with his tail wagging. He may not know exactly why I scolded him, but he doesn't care, he's ready to love. I'm constantly reminded by the Lord that we are to be quick to forgive one another, just as Christ forgave and continues to forgive each and every one of us for all of our faults and failures. Oh yes, not only to forgive, but also to forget. That's often the hardest part. I'm stubborn (the Italian in me) and unfortunately I seem to have to learn this lesson again and again. But the Lord reminds me that He also forgives and forgets our transgressions against Him, as we read in Psalm 103:12:

“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (NKJV)

LESSON FOUR - Fierce Protector

Sparky is a fierce protector of his own family! Again, despite my numerous scoldings and unsuccesful attempts to rehome Sparky, his love and devotion to the family comes out in the form of wanting to protect us. He seems to have this amazing ability to read strangers’ character. He’s a great guard dog, don’t get me wrong. But, what he’s done in times past reminds me of how our Lord is our fierce protector. There was a time when someone whom we rarely see made a brief stop at our house. We decided to bring him outside to meet Sparky before leaving. Well, Sparky wouldn’t have it. The hair behind Sparky’s neck was straight up and he wouldn’t stop walking around my wife and I, as if forming a barrier of sorts between us and our guest. He wouldn’t stop growling and barking. At first glance, one would think “how annoying”. But Sparky felt the need to guard us against what he perceived to be a threat.

I don’t think I need to spend much time explaining this spiritual lesson. The Lord is our fierce protector. His is our shiled and buckler (Psalm 91). He is the One who the Psalmist David wrote about when he said:

“The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” Psalm 34:7 (NKJV)

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says:

^“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” (NKJV)

Though there are plenty of verses in the Bible that showcase God’s protection over each of us, look at Psalm 32:7 that says:

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” (NKJV)

LESSON FIVE - Companion

I will admit that Sparky is truly man’s “best” friend. He’s such a great companion! He just wants to be wherever we’re at. He’s happy being with us no matter what. Again, Sparky keeps no record of wrongdoing, just as the Lord does with each one of us. When it comes to companionship, the Lord reminds me through Sparky of what Solomon said in Proverbs 18:24:

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (NKJV)

As I mentioned earlier, our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us—never! It's a beautiful and comforting reminder for all of us who are going through hardships and trials to know that our Lord is always there for us. It reminds me of the song by Stryper called "Always There For You". While it may not be everyone's style of music, the lyrics are just right.

Honestly, I can keep going. Who knew we could learn so many spiritual lessons from our furry friends if we take the time to slow down and pay attention. I’ve come to truly appreciate the blessing that Sparky has been in my life. I’m amazed who and what the Lord will often times use as a means to reveal to each of us that the work of sanctification is never done while here on earth. I’m a work in progress. And once again, with each passing day, I am reminded of how much I don't know and how much I need refinement.

If for some reason, you’re tempted to think you’ve somehow got it all together, I would encourage to pray not for patience, but, better yet, pray that the Lord would bring a “Sparky” into your life!

😁Have A Nice Day!👍🏻

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