"Dog" is "God" Spelled Backward

Did you hear about the dyslexic agnostic with insomnia?  He spent his nights lying in bed wondering if there is a dog.

I was reminded of this old joke this morning.

I'd gone to bed last night in a seriously grumpy mood.  Seriously grumpy.

At 3:00 am our dog started barking, needing to go out.  This is not a common occurrence; usually he sleeps through the night.  Suffice it to say, I was not at all happy with this change of routine, so I woke up even grumpier than I'd gone to bed.  "God damn it," was, in fact, the phrase that jumped to mind (and came out of my lips).  So I got up, threw on a sweatshirt, got the dog, and went outside.

And it was glorious!  It was cold -- bracing -- the kind of temperature I really love.  And the sky ...  So many stars and so incredibly clear and sharp.  The words of Psalm 19 replaced my curses: 

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display God's craftsmanship."

And in an instant grumpiness turned to an awareness of grace.  And gratitude.  So much gratitude.

Several years ago I had what felt like a revelation -- that a perfect image of God is that of a puppy:  always wanting to play, always ready to lick your face, always ready for adventure, the embodiment of unconditional love, and greeting whatever happens with unbridled enthusiasm.  Last night I was reminded of this, and grateful that I have a dog in my life.  And God.

Pax tecum,

RevWik

Thanks to the owner of the Waiting for ION blog at
https://waitingforison.wordpress.com/about/
Image used under Creative Commons License

Print this post