February 2025 changed my life. My pastor brought his litter of puppies to church one Wednesday night and while everyone grabbed and petted a brown puppy, I was instantly drawn to the black puppy that was wandering aimlessly. He had a patch of white fur on his back and it reminded me of my first dog. His name was Prince, which was funny because my best friend had a dog of the same breed whose name was King.
It was too perfect.
He was sweet and barely left my side, although I could tell he might have a touch of ADHD. After deliberation and prayer, I decided to purchase him.
And. That’s. When. It. All. Changed.
The sweet, calm puppy I purchased transformed into a stubborn, exorbitantly hyper and uber friendly puppy. He always wanted to play. Always wanted attention. He had boundless energy and, in the beginning, he was up at 6:30am regardless of what time he or I went to bed. When he was bored, he began to chew up things like carpet and computer cords. It was like I never found that sweet puppy spot everybody talked about so much.
If I’m being honest, I loved my dog, but I didn’t like him very much. I contemplated selling him several times, but I always feared how would another family handle him. Would he end up being passed around from family to family because of his energy? Would he develop separation anxiety because of being rehomed? How would he feel about realizing I was never coming back? So, I decided to keep him, but having him felt more like a chore than having a companion.
Then, one day, I had a revelation!
It was hard for me to love Prince the way he needed to be loved because he wasn’t what I envisioned in a dog. He didn’t act the same way my best friend’s dog did. He wasn’t chill or had the ability to play by himself long. So, I repented, asked God to help me love my dog the way he deserved to be loved and vowed to be a better dog mom.
I don’t know if it changed for him, but it seemed like since that day, our relationship has been better. I became more patient with him. I became more understanding of his needs. I began to make time for play in my daily routines.
My relationship with Prince reminds me of the relationships we have with humans. We have this vision or ideology of what a person should be to us or for us and then, we become disappointed when they don’t measure up.
We have to love people for who they are just like Jesus loves us for who we are – flaws and all, frustrations and all. Pray for them, be patient, be kind, be gentle, be compassionate. Ask God how He needs you to show up for that person. Because I hate to be the one to say it, but we don’t have the power to change anybody, only God does. So, if you are graced to be a part of a person’s life (because this doesn’t include everybody; some people you should create distance with) and you are struggling to love them the way they need to be loved, turn to the one who created them and He will show you what you need to change, fix and do. Also, remember Ephesians 4:2-3 (NIV): “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
