When Life Throws a Curve Ball

By Carin LeRoy –

Ten months ago, my husband and son picked out a rescue puppy. When they brought him home, he was cute, tiny and covered with interesting little markings. At nine weeks, he only weighed nine pounds.

I asked my husband, “What is he? How big is he going to get?”

“They said he’ll be a medium-sized dog and won’t get too big. He’s part Australian Shepherd,” my husband said.

“Well, I hope not,” I said, “I don’t want a huge dog running around the house.”

“Naww,” he said.

The dog soon began to gain weight and grow like a weed.  I knew we were in trouble when the exterminator came to our house said, “Oh, he looks like he’ll be about 70 pounds.”

I worried even more when my son’s friend came in the house and said, “He looks like he’s part Saint Bernard.”  By six months, he weighed 50 pounds. Now, at ten months, he’s 78 pounds and still growing—not exactly what we thought we were getting.

We now have a small pony that runs around the house! When he is excited, his tail can swipe items off the coffee table, whack a grand baby in the face, or knock the paper you’re reading from your hand. His favorite pastimes are to lick toes and loyally follow your every step. He likes to dig holes, eat my flowers and leave his muddy footprints on my hardwood floor.

But I choose to look at the bright side: He’s very friendly; he loves the yard, and he never barks. We can leave him in the yard for hours and he won’t bother the neighbors.

Life will always contain the annoying and the unexpected. So when life throws you a curve ball, look at the bright side!

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of his life God has given him under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV).