Lucky, the Prodigal dog

I can hear one of the dogs barking, way down the hill by the creek in the lower 2 acres.   I just know which one it is, it is Lucky.  We have a house full of animals, including our two Dachshunds, Lucky and Bo-Bo,  and our lives are filled with the joy of the different personalities of these little four-legged blessings, and I always know which one is misbehaving!!  

Our Lucky is a “party animal”, a very adventurous sort.   He

has never found something he didn’t like to chase, eat,  sniff, lick or bark at.   Bo-Bo on the other hand, enjoys a few minutes of barking and chasing but then prefers to spend his time curled up beside my desk or close by on the couch.  He asserts his position every day as an "INSIDE DOG” who barks at outside noises, as opposed to Lucky who loves his “personal” freedom, freedom to roam and investigate,  who barks OUTSIDE at all noises!.   They are both dachshunds and it would seem they would have similar personality types, but they don’t.

It may sound funny but animals, more than people, often bring to mind and help me to understand  stories that I have read in the Bible, stories of how problems were addressed in those days centuries ago compared with how we in this age address them.  I suppose it is because dogs are more logical and consistent than people!!   

In that light, I like to compare my doggies to the boys described in Jesus’ story of the “prodigal son” (Luke 15:11-32), and they help me to understand more about that story, and about the dogs.    In the Bible account, the younger son in a family, apparently stretching for his own personal freedom and desire to experience the “outside world”, asked his dad for his portion of any inheritance and he then moved on down the road. He went to a far country to live, apparently thinking that being separated from the family would free him to roam and to enjoy a life of freedom. That would be my Lucky.  “Give me some bacon treats and I am out of here to go down the hill, get into the brambles, get covered with mud, chase that herd of deer and a wild turkey, get a few sticks caught in my hair, maybe a tick or two… really living!!! “   

His brother Bo-Bo, is like the older brother in

the story who stayed home with his father and faithfully served him during the years of his brother’s absence.  Bo-Bo never goes far, he’s always faithful and stays very close.

Now in the Bible story, you may recall that the younger son soon ran out of money, was forced to herd swine and eat the food the swine ate.   He soon decided to return home, even though he would be returning in disgrace.  He came home humbly, tail between his legs, so to speak.  To his surprise, his father met him in the way, rejoicing and warmly welcoming him, clothed him with best garments and prepared a welcome home party. 

The older son was very hurt and disappointed.    He had

remained faithful all along and now the “party animal” was not being punished, but treated royally by his father.  My Bo-Bo is the same way. He jealously runs over and jumps up on me when Lucky returns home as if to say, “Pet Me, Pet Me,  I have faithfully stayed at home and been your good doggie.  Can’t you see that Lucky was a bad doggie?“ 

I love both of these little guys, one for his free spirit and adventurous, unlimited nature; the other for his faithfulness and for his obedience, staying by my side. Reading that story as told by Jesus, I can see how each of the individuals felt.  But as a father myself, I also understand that love eventually cuts through the fear, negativity, jealousy, criticism, hurt feelings and provides the balm that heals.   We love because it is the inherent nature of God's creation to reflect Love. 

I have talked to a number of fathers who have been disappointed by their children. BUT, almost every one, no matter that their sons or daughters might have acted thoughtlessly, or selfishly, abandoned home or family values,  perhaps having taken a pathway that was hurtful or disappointing to the family, those same fathers are eager to forgive.   They have shared just how warmly they would receive and forgive those errant offspring, give them unbounded love and affection, accept them as “brand new”.   I also know many of children, young adults,  who have been the “party animals”, have separated from the family and have “gone to a far country” to live, so to speak, for any number of reasons.   I understand and have heard clearly from them how they long for that love and comfort of family, how they want to return to that feeling of belonging, acceptance and forgiveness.

Jesus told that story of the prodigal son for a reason.  He was really sharing how God, characterized in the Bible as Love, Mind and Truth, our Father, awaits the return of His loved ideas, their awakening to their inseparability from their spiritual source.  No matter how deep into the “far country” they may have wandered, their pathway home is at hand.

In life, in our relationship to God, a collective name for the Creator, the infinite Mind in whom we “live, and move and have our being as certain of your own prophets have said, For we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:28), there is no distinction between those who stay home and those who may wander and then eventually come home, because in Truth, we can never really be separated from God, Spirit, who is our Life.   

The lesson I have learned is that both Father/Mother God and son/daughter, long to be together in that place back home, in divine Consciousness, secure in Love’s embrace and are ready to forgive and be forgiven, for such is the nature of Love.

May all of life’s prodigals and ever faithful children understand that God, Love is never ending, and receive and rejoice in understanding God as their patient, true, forgiving Father/Mother, and receive the blessing of love and peace.

Thanks Lucky and Bo-Bo for the lessons in Love and Forgiveness we have shared. I love you both.

AMOS & ANDY - and the BIG PRINT

Years ago, watching television shows in the fledgling industry was such a treat.  We were blessed with such good programs,  clean, solid entertainment It seems that today even with hundreds of channels, the viewing selection is limited if you have had enough killing, crime and brutality just from watching the evening news. 

60 Years "On the Air" Amos and Andy

In those earlier day I enjoyed shows such as Amos and Andy.  That program, a wonderful comedy series with such talented professionals,  was set in Harlem, New York and focused on the scheming, conniving, and plotting life of George (Kingfish) Stevens, who had a knack for looking for fast and easy ways to make money.    The other main characters included his Lodge brothers, Amos, a naïve but honest, hard-working family man, and Andy, a self-assured dreamer with somewhat overinflated self-confidence.   

Stevens got his nickname, “Kingfish” from his position as leader of the Mystic Knights of the Sea Lodge.    Kingfish was always either trying to lure the other two into get-rich-quick schemes, especially the gullible Andy, or else tricking Andy into some kind of trouble.,  Other brothers included Algonquin J. Calhoun, the animated and colorful attorney-at-law who had his hands full defending – and sometime joining – the Kingfish’s antics and scores of fizzled schemes.

Andy, Kingfish and Amos

While many of the plots did contain, very obvious to even this young viewer, ingenious crooked or underhanded dealings, generally by the slick Kingfish, the viewer was able to see through the larceny, comedy and hilarious situations to the underlying lessons to be learned.   Kingfish and his schemes always backfired and what seemed like good, but somewhat devious ideas had their inevitable failure and humiliation for Kingfish. 

Algonquin J. Calhoun, Attorney

Lessons learned through comedy have always seemed to stay with me longer than others because I have a tendency to remember funny things.   One example from that show, in a scene that has remained with me for years, Attorney Algonquin J. Calhoun was counseling Kingfish about a contract about to be signed.  He said, “Be careful of this contract Kingfish, they give it to you in the BIG PRINT and the small print takes it away.”

What a great warning!!  Isn’t that a STATEMENT OF FACT, a perfect description of the illusory nature of mortal, material existence?     How life tries to fool us into believing the “something for nothing” lie, falling for the deceiving belief of happiness in material things, money, status, lottery, fame, wealth, self-indulgence. 

Recent stories of lottery winners, competitive bicyclists, baseball stars, concert artists, Hollywood personalities, financial kingpins and even government officials, whose popularity was heralded in the BIG PRINT of the media, accounts of exceptional accomplishment and victory, have fallen to the small print section of financial ruin, humiliation and personal shame. 

And... who among us has not been fooled by BIG PRINT thinking and acting in our own lives?

My old guidebook, the Bible, has given some examples that prove the BIG PRINT-small print story is not a new phenomenon.   I suspect the aforementioned Algonquin J. Calhoun was a Bible reader himself, based on the sound advice he gave to Kingfish.

In one instance, Jesus related to his disciples the story of a young man, called ever after “The Prodigal Son”, who was so tempted by the Big Print, the thrill of life far away from home, the allure of distant places, seeking his own riches, that he took his portion of his inheritance and  left home and family.   He soon discovered that all of those Big Print items didn’t pan out.  He ended up spending all of his fortune, only to end up working hard in the grain fields and eating with the hogs, trying to find enough to eat.  He finally gave up that life and returned home to the welcoming arms of his father when he realized that he had been better off at home where even the servants had plenty to eat. 

In this simple analogy, Jesus was pointing out the parallel of leaving the security of God’s guidance, comfort and care, and striking out for parts unknown, the allure of sensuality, affairs, dishonesty, immoral living, the plethora of things that promise but don’t deliver. 

As a perfect example of a perfect example, Jesus himself wasn’t fooled by the BIG PRINT promises.  When tempting thoughts came to him when he was alone in the wilderness praying, thoughts characterized as coming from the (D)evil, that evil influence that comes to our thought, suggestions that he could fling himself unhurt from the top of the temple, turn stones into bread to feed himself, or even inherit all of the world and its riches, if only Jesus would bow down to evil, as if the Devil really could deliver anything!!!!   Jesus didn’t fall for the Big Print.  And the Devil, his BIG PRINT promises ignored and shunned, disappeared without a trace.  The lesson is that EVIL CAN’T deliver happiness, wealth, security or happiness. 

That experience in the wilderness proved Jesus knew about the allure of the BIG PRINT and the resulting small print.     Speaking to a group of followers he said: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  *

Family Closeness Time

When I hear of talented college athletes delaying big salary sports contracts to stay in college, instances of professionals leaving high pressure, high paying positions to take jobs which give them more time to enjoy the closeness of their children and family, fun jobs,  they have always wanted to do, it is encouraging. 

More and more we see the wisdom of Mary Baker Eddy’s observation that:  “Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue. Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.**

Love and Caring

Trading the BIG PRINT allure for the simple pleasures that come through following God's leading, loving and forgiving each other,   with a selfless caring, provides full time employment!  Offer a smile and helping hand to someone today.   And be a small print person!!

Be sure to watch every day for more lessons like this one that we learned from Amos and Andy!!  

*   Matthew 7

** Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy  page 57