As I was driving on my way to work this morning, I was saying my morning prayers as my usual custom when driving to work early in the morning. It was then that I approached a red traffic light. As I pulled up, there was a pick-up truck on my left side with a dog sitting in the passenger seat with his head out the window. After an initial chuckle at the sight, I began to stare at the dog. He rested his head on the door (since the window was lowered all the way down), as if in a state of contemplation. Even the look on his face indicated that he was deep in thought. Now I know that scientists have found evidence that dogs do not think. However, after watching this dog for what seemed like hours, there was no doubt in my mind that he had something on his mind. I couldn’t take a picture quick enough, so this photo is not of that dog I witnessed.
If I were to put my human spin on the thought pattern of this particular canine, it looked like he was thinking about how wonderful it was to be able to go for a car ride with his owner in the early morning hours. He was probably thinking of how much he is loved and cared for by his owner, being rewarded with the opportunity to feel the wind blowing through his hair. How wonderful it was to smell the scent of Spring in the air while being able to people-watch at the same time. He was probably thinking that he had nowhere in particular that he had to be today, but lucky to have it that way. He was probably thinking what a beautiful day it was, with all of the birds singing, the sun shining, and the flowers blooming. And even though he couldn’t see the colors, just the thought of eventually having the green grass touch his paws as he ran through the yard probably sent chills up and down his doggie spine.
Yes, if this dog could think – by the look on his face – I think that he was deep in contemplation of how blessed he was to have been created by God, and blessed to be alive this very day. As the light turned green and the pick-up truck began to pull away, the dog pulled his head back inside the cab. And I was left to contemplate on how fortunate I was to be God’s child, and lucky enough to witness another miracle – the start of a new day with Christ in my heart. May we all have these doggie insights as we wind down to the end of our Lenten journey.
