On a small rack near the back of the gift store, a t-shirt caught my eye. I liked the design. I liked the slogan. I thought it would be really cool to wear that shirt.
The soft gray tee featured a drawing of a dog with pointy ears and a stubby tail. Inside the outline, the words spelled out: Be the person your dog thinks you are.
I already know who my dogs think I am–Kelly and Ike think I’m the greatest! They don’t care if I’ve put on a few pounds. They don’t nag if I haven’t gotten my work done, or complain if I’m grouchy.
They don’t find me boring. Even if I’m only hanging out on my big green chair in my pajamas reading a magazine, they want to be with me.
I lifted the hanger off the rack. What kind of people do our dogs think we are? I believe that dogs think we will always be kind to them. That we will care for all their needs. Dogs think that we are trustworthy, and that our motives are always good.
The more I thought about it, the deeper I found the t-shirt message. That’s the way God expects us to act, too. To love one another. To show compassion. To have a kind and gentle spirit. To do what’s right. To be understanding and forgiving.
I brought the t-shirt to the checkout counter, clinching the deal. Yes, I want to be the person God asks me to be.
The person my dog already thinks I am.
