The Silence of A Stranger

BE THE PERSON I MET AT THE DOG PARK TODAY- I took Sophie to the park which is usually our normal Saturday routine but she hadn’t been in two weeks because she’s been healing from a dog attack at day care. This dog mommy (me) didn’t take into account all her pent up energy from not going and when we got there, this already high energy pup when 0 to 100 on all the dogs and the humans 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ I hate saying this, but she actually got aggressive with another dog. And she jumped on a kid for them to scream “I’m actually scared of that dog.” This is the LAST thing I want to happen and the last kind of person I want to be. I was so embarrassed (more than our usual embarrassment). I took her to the empty side of the dog park and I’m not going to lie, I was really emotionally upset. About five minutes later, this lady brings her dog over to our side. She didn’t say anything at first, she wasn’t judging me. she was calm. She was quiet, and she radiated understanding and acceptance. She even came near me but still was silent, letting me sit there upset, tears still rolling down my cheeks. Her dog played with Sophie, and we had to calm them a few times but for the most part they actually did okay. She waited there until I started talking then we had a really good conversation about our dogs being high energy, she even said “been there, done that.” It was the presence of a stranger and the friendship of a dog that made me smile while leaving the dog park instead of crying. I learned a really good lesson today in life- be the one that goes towards the people who might run away because of their shame. Be the person that will sit with someone in silence until they are ready to talk. Accept those the way they are instead how we want them to be. And love them out of their shame. Forgive them and befriend them. That’s what Jesus did for us. He came to earth, silent as a babe. He didn’t come to “condemn the world, but to save the world.” He came as a friend, accepted us the way we are, yet rescued us knowing we couldn’t save ourselves. I’m not sure if the lady at the dog park even knows she was the face, the smile, the love, and the friendship of the Savior in my life today, but maybe she will read this one day and know. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #bestill2021 #lookup2021 #anspiration28 #anspirational #norainnoflowers #onestepatatime #welcometoourgarden #perspective