Skip to main content

Life Lessons from Muffin: Unconditional Love and Acceptance

It was the most perfect July day. White clouds were aglow with silver light and heaven was brighter than I've ever seen it before.

"Lord, thank you for giving us Muffin. She made our family so happy. We miss her, and we can't wait to see her on the other side."

The words of my dad's graveside prayer echoed in my mind as I drove the stretch of highway back home, lit up by a breathtaking sunset.

Muffin was 16 years old, and held on so cheerfully through declining health until yesterday, when she passed. What a full life she lived.

I was 12 when we got Muffin as a puppy, and her sweet personality captured our hearts instantly. She loved everyone, and seemed to exude a warmth that was both welcoming and comforting. She used to sit by the door and whimper when we'd leave the house, then bark excitedly with plenty of tail-wagging when we returned. I know everybody says this about their own pet, but she really was the best dog.

On the drive to Muffin's burial yesterday, I passed by a church sign that seemed to speak directly to my heart. It read:

If God seems far away... who moved?


Instantly, I remembered the day I moved away to college. Muffin sat quietly by the door as I hauled my luggage to the car and drove 4 hours away. My mom told me that Muffin slept in my room that night, missing me. Over the next several years, I'd return home during university breaks and Muffin would welcome me with so much excitement, it was as though I'd never left.

Who moved?

I did.

I left her.

But she didn't seem to hold it against me. Even after getting married and having children, Muffin still welcomed me back with unconditional acceptance whenever I'd visit mom and dad's house. Despite all the changes in my own life over 16 years, it seemed like Muffin never changed. She always loved me the same.

Isn't that how God loves us? 

We move. We change. We live our lives. But God's love never changes. He's always the same. And He's always ready to welcome us back.

Isn't that how we ought to live?

 Driving through rural Virginia last night gave me plenty of time to think about Muffin's life and 16 years of memories with her. I couldn't stop thinking about the prayer my dad prayed with tears in his eyes after he placed her wooden box in the ground:

"Lord, thank you for giving us Muffin. She made our family so happy. We miss her, and we can't wait to see her on the other side."

I was choked up by the profound simplicity of this beautiful prayer. Honestly, if that prayer is prayed at my funeral, I think I will have succeeded in life.

"Lord, thank you for giving us Claire. She made our family so happy. We miss her, and we can't wait to see her on the other side."

Unconditional love means accepting those around you with joy, regardless of their circumstances. It means welcoming others with genuine peace, despite past failures. It means forgetting the pain, and moving forward with purpose.

Live in such a way that - when you're gone - you'll be missed, and others will exclaim that they can't wait to see you on the other side.

Dedicated to Muffin
May 31, 1997 - July 29, 2013
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Traits of Highly-Engaging Social Media Posts

Digital media consumption is at an all-time high. Millenials no longer rely on traditional and mainstream media producers for the latest news and information. Social media is literally revolutionizing the way people do research and engage with the world. When consumers are formulating opinions about a brand, they rely on peer-to-peer reviews more than high-budget advertising. And they can go directly to social media to get a feel for a brand's true colors before investing in its products or services. With so much information competing for attention on social media, how can you develop a keen strategy for reaching consumers with relevant content? Here are 4 tips: Be succinct.  You have exactly 2 seconds to engage your audience. Make your point and make it fast. Save the fine print and flowery details for later. Use imagery.  Social media posts with photos capture more engagement than posts without pictures. Your photos should be relevant to your content, and preferably
1 comment
Read more

I want to be a butterfly

December 19, 2014 Dear Julia, Earlier this week, you and I had a conversation that I’ll never forget. You’re 4-and-a-half (although I feel like I just brought you home from the hospital… I swear I only blinked). You’re so full of life. Your energy and enthusiasm make me smile every day! We needed groceries. Badly. So we hopped in the car and drove to Sam’s Club. It was one of those evenings when I didn’t have much time after work to make dinner, so we opted for pizza at Sam’s. After ordering a few slices of pepperoni pizza (you may only weigh 31 pounds, but you can put away an entire slice of Sam’s pizza by yourself), I sat down across from you and began cutting your pizza into little bite-size pieces. You asked me how my day at work went. By the way, that’s not typical for a preschooler. Most 4-year-olds are only interested in Dora the Explorer. Not you. You like to ask questions. You’re a relationship builder. You care about people’s thoughts and ideas, and yo
Post a Comment
Read more

I was a perfectionist. Then I had kids.

Life is messy. Sticky. Goopy. Some days, I feel I could run a cleaning business. Based on the number of hours spent washing, changing, tidying, scrubbing, folding, and wiping, I often feel that parenting is just one giant exercise in cleaning up. Before I had kids, my house was fairly clean. My car smelled fairly nice. My schedule was fairly organized. My life was – for the most part – under control. And control was the key. Control allowed me to manage my responsibilities. Control gave me the power to change my circumstances. I liked control. Actually, I loved control. As an ENTJ (the Meyers-Briggs personality assessment is spot on for me), it felt fulfilling to have a sense of control in my life. That’s why parenting was such a major adjustment. I suddenly lost control of so many variables – my time, my space, and even my feelings (Okay, why do Subaru commercials have to be so emotional? I think I cried at every single one of them when I was pregnant). In the early years of parent
Post a Comment
Read more