Lessons from Amo

I have always liked dogs, but everything seemed to change after I had children. Motherhood felt like it started with a bang. Two deliveries in 19 months accompanied by living 4 places in that same amount of time left me worn out. Tiger, our sweet dog, got the leftovers of my maternal energy. One day, Tiger finally looked me in the eyes and asked to go live with my mom and dad. He spent his remaining years in luxury with my parents.Fast forward eight years and my children, then 9 and 7 started asking for a puppy. “Oh no…never!” I thought. For three years, my husband and I remained united that we were too busy to provide a good home for a dog. Then one day my husband defected. It was now 3 to 1. I held strong for a while, but eventually we ended up with Amo. The acquisition process is a whole other story…but the bottom line is we ended up with a puppy. My daughter had just started taking Latin, so our dog got a pretty sophisticated name for a southern dog… Amo. It means “I love.” When we take him to the vet in Memphis, it is frequently pronounced “Ammo” as in ammunition. I have to laugh!What I have rediscovered is how much I like having a dog. Chris and I were both right. He thought we needed a dog and I thought I would end up doing all the work. Yes and Yes. The one benefit of doing all the work is that I have quickly become Amo’s favorite (please don’t tell).

Amo has taught me several things in the last two years. One of the most important things he has shown me is that attitude is everything.

Every morning he is so excited to see me. He is not the most obedient dog, but somehow he has learned not to get out of bed until I make eye contact. He will hear my alarm go off and then watch to see if I am hitting snooze or getting out of bed. If I hit snooze and roll over, he will snuggle back in and wait. Once he knows I am serious about getting up, he hops up and covers me with kisses. He is excited for each day and he is excited to have someone who cares for him.Life is not glamorous for Amo. He is fed the same thing every meal. He only spends about 5% of his day outside the walls of our home and even then he finds a barricade keeping him from running free. He is alone in our house nestled in my closet several hours a day waiting for my return… yet he is so happy. Happy to be fed. Happy to be loved.There is something so simple and pure about his approach. We think we are the superior race, but God intends for us to learn something from creation. (After all, He tells us that He clothes the lilies of the field.) Why do I let myself make life more complicated? I am fed and I am loved and I am waiting on the return of my Master…just like Amo. It is my choice to be grateful or to always act like I somehow deserve more. I think I will lick Chris on the face tomorrow morning and choose to be happy!