Life is Like a Puppy....

I was recently given the suggestion to write about puppies.  My first reaction was "What on earth can I possibly write about puppies that would be insightful?"  Then it was pointed out to me that puppies are incredibly soft, cute and cuddly.  They are curious about their world around them.  And they are always excited to see you, their caretaker.  (WOW!  This sounds very reminiscent of my children!)

But, as life goes on, puppies create messes.  They can create more work than you planned on doing, and you, the caretaker, are left with the awesome responsibility to clean up any messes that the puppy makes.  (This too sounds vaguely familiar.)

I was talking to my eldest child about this very thing.  She told me about a place where she lives of a business that rents puppies to people for the day.  If you are feeling lonely and in need of cuddles, you just give a call, pay the money and they bring you a puppy for a day.  WOW!  If only life were as simple as "renting" a dog for the day!

This is what the website has to say:

"Puppies For Rent is Utah's premier pet adoption service.  We work tirelessly to find the perfect adoptive home for each puppy we take in, as well as to help Utah become a No Kill state.  Since 2013 Puppies For Rent has been working to get puppies adopted using our unique approach to animal rescue.  Our Trial Adoptions help families experience the joys of pet ownership before committing to adopt. Whether you're looking for an addition to your family or just need some snuggles, Puppies For Rent is here for you."

I admire the business for their ingenuity.  It does indeed give the prospective family a chance to see what it is like to have a puppy for a day, or night as I have found out.  As a current dog owner, I for one would have LOVED to have a "trial period" before I actually got the cuddly bundle of joy.  Then I would have known that behind all that cuteness lies a devious little mind who will one day grow up to be as stubborn as I am. 

This "rent a puppy" topic also reminded me of the movie "Rent a Kid".  It was a movie that came out YEARS ago about a orphanage owner that asked his father to manage the orphanage so he could enjoy a much needed Thanksgiving vacation.  The father readily agreed to take the job.  While he was "babysitting" some large number of children, he "rented" a set of three siblings to a couple who were considering a family of their own.  The result was hilarity!  I loved this movie and would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a fun family movie night.

It also makes you think - What if I would be able to "rent" before I could purchase and see if this would be the perfect fit for me?  I'm not talking about the small stuff like a house, car or swing set.  I'm talking about the BIG stuff like babies and teenagers!  (oh, and pets too)  Too bad that life isn't really like this.  We have to go on faith that the most important decisions in our lives need to be made with not only knowledge, but faith in Heavenly Father that things will all work out for the best.

I know that when I was planning my family, I didn't have a clue as to what I was getting myself into.  I just saw the "stars" as I dreamed about soft rosy cheeks, cute smiles and endless cuddles and coos as my sweet baby learned to say "mamma".  I was also under the illusion that said child would NEVER sass me, would ALWAYS obey me, and would worship the ground that I walk on.  They would see me as their "hero" in all things.

Yeah, that time has passed!!  It is now filled with countless times of pee in the bed at all hours of the night and early morning.  Then carsickness followed by vomit in the van on even the shortest of car rides!  Not to mention  the "he said, she said" battles that are a daily occurrence of family life.  We can't forget the "selective hearing" either - this is where you can be begging your child for 10 minutes to do something and they "don't hear you" but as soon as you mention the word "treat" they pop their little head up and say "I want some!"

No, there is no "rental period" for life.  BUT, if you have faith that the Lord will help you through even the most trying of times, you will find that life is AMAZING!

You will start to see the joy that your children can bring to you.  You will notice the times when your baby says "I love you mamma!" for no reason at all except that she wanted you to know her love for you.  The times when your son is kind and helpful to his siblings so there can be peace in the home.  That time when your son notices you are feeling a bit "blue" and gives you a hug to lift your spirits.  Don't forget the countless times when your oldest, who has moved away from home, calls you for no other reason than to say "hello" cuz she had a spare minute and thought of you first.

No arguments here - LIFE IS HARD!!!  We all know that.  People need to stop focusing on the hardness of life and start focusing on the wonder of life.  I for one am grateful for the opportunity to have the hard times cuz it helps me to realized just how blessed my life really is.  God doesn't give us trials we can't handle.  He knows us well enough to give us experiences that will make us stronger than we are right now.

So yeah, life is like a puppy "...it is great fun and soft and fluffy.  But sometimes life can get messy and pretty crappy....(BUT) There's always ways to...clean it up!"