The Joy of Dogs

Raising a dog, I buy her gifts and spend much time with her. Among all the times I have spent with her, the time my dog is most pleased with is when I give her snacks that don’t taste that great. I give her snacks stealthily whenever necessary to train her, and as a result the relationship between the dog and the owner grows deeper. Most dogs simply rejoice whenever they are offered snacks thrown to them by their owners, whether it is during nap they were enjoying or early in the morning when they are waking up after a cold night. Snacks, that’s the joy of dogs.

These days the American economy is very down. Since my business is no exception, I’m not that busy, so I am spending some time writing things I have wanted to write and sorting out various ministries I have initiated. However, I can only rest so much, and thus, it’s not easy just waiting for customers to call me when there is no new project and no customers calling in for orders. This afternoon I received an unexpected call from a pest control company, and the customer said that he had been introduced to my company by his friend, and that he wanted to buy my company’s computer program. After I jotted down his credit card number and verified his shipping address, I hung up the phone and found myself cheering. Oh, how excited I was. This is the kind of feeling only those in sales can identify with. Who can give a joy that can compare to this kind of joy?

As a part of my ministry, I’ve been visiting this Native American reservation quite frequently. One evening, while I was driving to a restaurant, I noticed a lady was walking or rather wobbling down the road. The local friend I was riding with informed me that she used to be a respected judge up until last year, but she was now addicted to Meth. When I was walking to the car after dinner at the restaurant, I heard some noise coming from the dumpster. When I looked in, the former judge was looking for leftovers to eat. Dumbfounded and puzzled, I questioned the accompanying friend. I asked him how addictive the drug is which was being used in that neighborhood and it’s use was on the rise. His answer was that the drug is unimaginably addictive and much more dreadful, compared to any other drugs. The next day I intentionally looked for the wandering lady, and invited her to breakfast. In my opinion, I thought she would be willing to accept my offer since she was looking for something to eat in the trash can last night. However, her response puzzled me. She said if I had money to buy her a meal, I should give her cash. There was no reason to ask her why. She liked the drugs so much, because it gave her a transient joy.

There is a pastor who shares my office with me. Not only did he teach me the Bible since my college years, while he was serving the church as a deacon at the time, he was also very influential in shaping my Christian worldview. He has raised his children very well, and in terms of pastoral ministry he served a church as the senior pastor and retired after serving his denomination successfully. Even after his retirement from active pastoral ministry, he unexpectedly drops by and sticks his head into my office and starts to share with me his witnessing moment that just happened. Rejoicing over the fact that his backslidden disciple came back to the Lord, and that he has an appointment to do a Bible Study with him the following week, he was shining from all the excitement on his face. His face was as red as that of an alcoholic. Waiting and preparing for his appointment the next week, he was like a drug addict who has scraped up just enough money and waits to get some drugs in some sense. Probably, for the pastor, the greatest joy must be evangelism which helps a soul come to the Lord. This joy can be equivalent to closed deal for businessman, delicious treats for dogs, and perhaps, drugs for drug addicts.

When one likes something so much, immerses in it, and can’t get enough of it, we then call it an addiction. It’s hard to get out of it only with one’s own will. At times, one likes it so much so that he feels like talking to someone about it or sharing it with others. That’s addiction. This is something others can’t tell him to stop and even if they did, he wouldn’t listen.

Even though there might be different kinds of joy, there is the joy of enjoying snacks, which does it not have any nutritional value, but causes obesity and diabetes. On the other hand, there is the joy of cutting a deal for salespeople, which may have some lasting positive impact. However, some people live with the joy of addiction to drugs that completely ruin their bodies, families, and even their futures. There are numerous more kinds of joy, but the greatest joy of all is sharing of the Good News and serving others. Let us get addicted or hooked on to something that brings a true joy in our lives. A true joy should leave a good legacy for others to enjoy for many years to come as well.