From Charlie Gray

A friend of mine is fond of reminding people that: "it’s a sorry dog that won’t wag his own tail’. Kinda a poignant reminder of the importance of self confidence. That’s a great topic for another time but for now I want to focus on my dog wagging his tail. Donna usually starts her morning before me and she graciously closes our bedroom door so I can continue to snooze in my retirement oasis.

When I have finished my beauty sleep and open my bedroom door, I am greeted by my English bulldog. He is always waiting on the other side and guess what he is always doing? You guessed it, wagging his tail. It’s a great way for me to start my day with the reminder of the divine unconditional love of a pet. We all need that. We all need a dog.

There is an abundance of scientific explanations on tail wagging but I suggest that my dog wags his tail because he is unable to smile. It is his only way to let me know that he is happy to see me. He can’t smile, he can’t say "good morning" nor can he bring me a cup of coffee. In that reality, I affectionately welcome his gesture. It always gets my day off to a great start.

I couldn’t help but not to think about how we humans communicate nonverbally. We can smile and speak words of kindness. We have a vast array of nonverbal ways to show our love and gratitude towards others. The ability to express pleasant gestures to others is easier for some than for others. As followers of Jesus, kindness should be a foundational principle we embrace. Kindness is in fact a reflection of God’s own character. Galatians 5:22 reminds us that kindness is a "fruit of the Holy Spirit" and should be a characteristic of all believers.

I love my dog. I know he loves me because he shows me every morning. Bulldogs don’t have much of a tail, rather just a nub. But my buddy makes the best use of what he has and for that I am thankful. Lesson learned and a great example for me from a dog. Not just a dog, but Ceelo the bulldog, my friend. Maybe I should be a little more like my friend.