Sea BreezesWhat a lesson I learned last Sunday at church. First of all, I and I think many others learned a big lesson.
I walked into church and there was a man with a small dog on a leash. Humph! This was my first reaction. I thought, are you crazy, dogs don't come to church.
I was so busy judging this man and his decision that I never thought why he had brought the dog to church. I mean, he could have tied it to a tree, right?
Then came the peace where we all greet each other in the Peace of the Lord. The dog started barking, well I would bark too with all that mumbling about peace. I saw an usher take the man and his dog outside and thought, finally. The service continues and of all things here is this man again in church and he takes his dog to Communion. This was just a plain olde dog, no service sign on him, just a leash.
Well, by now, my judgmental self had reached world proportions. Some people have no class, thought I. I love my dogs too, but I would never bring them to church.
It was at the service's end, I learned my lesson. This man with the dog was poor and had come to the church for help the week before. He was invited to services and he had come, feeling welcome by most of the congregation. His dog barked when he was going to have a seizure within five minutes before the seizure happens. The usher knew that and that is why when the dog barked during the Peace, the man was helped outside to have his seizure in a quieter place.
I felt low. I learned a lesson. I had sinned. I had judged another human being unfairly. I bowed my head and asked for forgiveness. So thankful that God forgives my my sins.
A man, a dog, a story.
