By Doug De Graffenried
Since I have lived in the Gibsland metroplex, I have rescued or rehomed fifteen dogs. I know that dog number sixteen is out there. I’m always looking!
We kept two dogs; I think it is called a foster-failure. They are classic mutts. I rescued Rolo’s mom knowing that she would have puppies. She had nine! Rolo, the runt of the litter, is part Beagle and part Pit bull. Chester was found abandoned in January of this year. He is a funny blend of Pit bull and boxer. The dogs and I have a symbiotic relationship. I plant things in the yard. The dogs dig them up. I put sod down. The dogs dig it up. I purchase toys for the dogs, they unstuff the toys. There are mornings when the floor of the house looks like a snowstorm happened. Recently, they have taken the indestructible stuffed doggy toys to the backyard to unstuff them. Imagine the fun I’m having picking up the stuffing along with leaves, pecans, and the remains of the plants that have been excavated.
I built nice picket fences around the flower beds to keep the two diggers out. That plan failed. It failed so miserably that Rolo got trapped behind one of the fences. He entered the flowerbed to dig, and then couldn’t figure out how to get out. He whined until someone came out to free him.
Rolo has also developed a fascination for the Christmas tree. He has a preference for the glass ornaments that are hanging on the bottom third of the tree. Since he is part Beagle, he is a long dog and has a great reach. So along with the stuffed animal stuffing in the backyard, I am now cleaning up the remnants of Christmas tree ornaments. So far, he has not chewed a sentimental ornament, just old glass ornaments. Ugh!
My two dogs can make a prodigious mess. If only I could thank them for making the mess!
I have seen some homes that are perfectly decorated for Christmas. We could debate long and hard; colors, textures, styles, and whether you believe that a C-9 incandescent Christmas light is the most pleasing seasonal illumination. I have seen some homes decorated for Christmas that were probably the inspiration for magazine covers. They are amazing and beautiful. Hours of work to accomplish the perfect Christmas atmosphere. The decorations inspire and create seasonable warmth. There is much to commend about Christmas decorations and the hard work that goes into getting it “just right.”
The first Christmas was not “just right” nor was it orderly or neat.
My dogs have a great gift of bringing chaos to my orderly planting and tree decoration. They remind me that Jesus came into the middle of our mess. He came not to condemn or judge us but rather to lift us out of the mess and bring some order to our self-inflected chaos. I’m going to remember that when I go home this afternoon to clean up what the dogs have left for me this Monday.
The message of Christmas is that Jesus has entered your mess!
To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE
