My German Shepherd

 

Aldo as a puppy in 2002

Aldo was born July 9th of 2002 in a batch of nine. He was the biggest and the strongest of all. I bought him for a farm where the One-Year Bible School is also operating. I kept him with me till he was big enough to be detached from his mother and after I had taken him to the vet for all his vaccines.

One day during the short period of his puppy days, I took him out with a leash. He immediately made me know that in his mind it was not the ideal walk. I had to literally drag him with every step as I pull with all my strength. He howled, yelled and wailed all the way; we were quite the scene and Snoopy would have considered it “animal cruelty”. I sat in a bench and we both rested from our recent odyssey. In time to head back to the house I felt sorry for him, after all it was his first time in leash-training and I did not want to be the point of attention in the streets again, so I carried him in my arms. Next day it was time for another walk and for more struggle, so I thought, but to my surprise, he just walked next to me. He knew what to do! I realized how amazingly smart dogs can be.

 

 

"Orejon" Big Ears

 

 

His eyes can talk

 

When he was about three or four months old, I left him where it would be his new home, the farm. I pictured him having fun in the open space in curiosity quest. He seemed to adapt well to his new surroundings and people, but not long after that , he began to make trips back to my place, which it meant more than 2 miles having to cross the river on a swinging bridge. I would take him back time after time, but he would only stay for a while before he came back to town looking for me. This happened so many times that the owners gave up after trying all sorts of tricks and disciplinary actions; then they finally asked me if I wanted to keep him. I love dogs, but for many reasons I had not planned to have one. In any case, apparently we, the people, had nothing to say on the matter, it was Aldo who had made up his mind as to who was going to be his master. He had chosen me and I accepted his decision.

 

 

This year Aldo turned six. He is an all grown up pal, still full of stamina and vigor, playful and a very loyal friend. I am sure all dogs are special creatures above all, made by God for human enjoyment and benefit. Dogs are by nature man pleasers. They use their intelligence to seek affirmation and approval. Their biggest content seems to be companions, expressing sadness with one’s absence and great excitement with one’s presence; whenever they have the chance, they like to be near you. They are excellent guardians. Aldo is very friendly, but his growl can intimidate anyone and few times he has not allowed people to even shake hands with me.

 

I believe Aldo is not a coincidence. I believe God has used his creation to his purposes. He has used stars, rain, hail, clouds, earthquakes, fire, wind, etc. He used:

-thirsty camels to find a wife for a promised son,

-a donkey to rebuke an ambitious prophet,

–crows to feed a hungry servant,

-a big fish to transport a disobedient messenger,

-a hive to give strenght to a solitary man in the wilderness,

-a lions’ den to show his care to a faithful prayer warrior,

–ants, rock badgers, locust and spiders to inspire a proverb writer,

-an untrained colt for his son’s triumphal entry,

-an animal’s skin to dress a naked couple in a garden,

-many lambs to picture the coming perfect substitute, His Son Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world AND He is now using a simple dog in my life to teach me lessons about Him, his creation, people and myself.

Love each other

I would like to be loyal to God as he is to me. Enjoy God’s presence as he enjoys mine. To be content and happy with small things and celebrate food with enthusiasm. I want to follow the Lord and never lose sight of him as Aldo does when we take walks. To be smart enough to learn lessons from who cares and provides for me. That my love for God may grow with each passing moment.