A little over a year ago Roxie, our wonderful canine companion of nine years, had an early morning stroke and passed away five hours later. It was sudden, heart-wrenching, and left a dog-shaped hole in our lives.
As the cold, dreary days of winter rolled in, Kristi started to casually peruse some pet adoption web sites. It wasn't long before she was posing the question, "Are we ready to get another dog?" I wasn't.
The question kept popping up until it was obvious that Kristi's need to once again have a four-legged friend clicking around on our hardwood floors was deeply felt. I relented and now we have Piper, a shelter dog from Osage Beach. She is very shy and has many fears, but we are patiently working with her and seeing a lot of progress.
As I was walking Piper, God impressed on me that while agreeing to another dog, even though I was not 100% on board, was important for Kristi and a sacrifice of sorts on my part, it was not as important as the day-in and day-out, small-scale sacrifices I often over look.
Going to the basement to fold the laundry even though I am in an interesting part of a book. Making sure the forks are turned the right way in the silverware drawer. Asking for, then taking Kristi's advice. Putting down the iPad when Kristi wants to tell me about her most recent plant purchase. These are what show love every day. These "small" things make her feel valued and cherished.
Diamonds, vacations, and even new puppies are visible, grand gestures of love. But they should never replace washing dishes, warming up the car, and taking an interest in crochet.
Big love gets "oohs" and "ahhs", but small, consistent love strengthens and endures.
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