danielredbeard’s weblog

Our dog, Jasper, sure has had a rough week. For a little silky terrier, he’s endured a lot. Started a week ago when he found the bag of full-sized Hershey’s chocolate bars, and ate 3 of them. He was starting on the 4th when Andrea found him in his cage and put a stop to it. He didn’t get sick right away, but later in the week he found some morsels in his bedding and chowed down some more. Only this time he didn’t stop with the morsels – he ate part of his actual bed, foam and all.

That induced a liquid poo unlike anything I’ve seen before. Good thing we have hardwood floors, though when he dished out the stuff for a second time, it was partly on the rug. Good times.

Then last night we had some new-to-us-neighbors over for drinks and a fire. They have lived down the street from us since we moved in nearly 2 years ago, but for whatever reason I only met them when I met one of them at a business function.

While we were all in the backyard talking around the fire, the kids were throwing balls around for both dogs. At one point only one ball was thrown and a fight ensued between Jasper, and Jake (border collie). They have never fought. Ever. I arose yelling, broke up the scrap once, then Jasper started it again. Finally they settled down, and the moment was surreal. Then we saw blood coming from Jasper’s mouth. He had lost 2 teeth, and one was hanging out! Poor guy. He went inside, Jake stayed out, and somehow we returned to our already odd night. The kids weren’t spooked, thankfully.

Turns out we had a lot in common with our guests – early 30s, kids, art, music, etc. – so we’re sitting around the fire talking about baby-sitters when one of the new neighbors starts raving about two lesbian girls she knows who are the best baby-sitters she knows, but they’re only around during summer due to school. She told us how when these girls come to watch her kids they bring art projects, they clean the house, they go “above and beyond” in all kinds of ways to serve the families.

In that instant I realized that I have much to learn about acts of love. There is no shortage of people whom would spend a ton of time talking/judging the lesbian part of this story, and ignore the bigger point: That these girls are are doing the work God/Jesus has called his followers to do!

“Yes, Dan, but they’re…. they’re…. you know, lesbians!”

Yes. And I can be arrogant, and my eyes travel where they ought not. You might want to put that stone down now… and I have something in my eye I need help removing. You?

I wonder what happens when someone gets hit with consistent ordinary acts of love from someone whom later is known to be a follower of The Way?

I wonder what happens over time to the modern-day perception of Christianity if its Church start living out 1 John 3:18 instead of constructing buildings and asking for people to come to the God Mall Church of Come-To-Us?

It just struck me that unprompted acts of love still do quite well with people. The 2 baby-sitter girls are asked to watch some kids for a few hours. A very common, ordinary task that even I did as an early teen. But these girls made an impression on my neighbor, and who knows how many others, due to their taking advantage of an opportunity to show love.