I don’t like taking care of dogs. Any dog. Of course, I don’t like taking care of children either. Little children, anyway. It’s like they’re stealing my space, my time. And I guard that religiously. Perhaps this attitude is a problem. (Ya think?) It sounds like one to others, I’m sure. Still, it’s me. For better or worse. After all, why is a less-than-best choice by others (i.e., deciding to own a dog) suddenly my problem? I am exaggerating, of course. But it is what’s on my mind at the moment.

Today is Good Friday. And my dislike for watching someone else’s dog is on my mind. That’s not a good take, I don’t think. I should be focusing on all the suffering that Christ underwent to bring me salvation. Yes?

Good Friday is hard. Now, there’s a narcissistic thought, eh? I can’t help it. I’m in a funk at the moment. Maybe I’m just hungry and need to eat something. I get testy when I think I need to eat and haven’t yet. Perhaps by the time evening services at church roll around, my attitude will have straightened out some. It’s hard to say. I can stay in my cantankerous mode for quite a while. So maybe I’m just joking when I suggest that we take the dog, put it in a sack, and drop it in the nearest stream. Sure, that’s the ticket. Just joking. Pretty much. Some. Maybe.

Oh, well. Maybe my suffering for this Good Friday is to put up with being me, which is not always easy to do. Or maybe my suffering should be to put out the effort to change who I am today, to endure the growing pains of trying to become someone better.

Let us pray.

Dear Jesus, I am writing to You now because I have a problem. Me. I’m the problem. I know this is not news to You, but I just wanted to go on record with this one more time. With one of Your ‘seven last words,’ You asked the Father to forgive us for we know not what we do. Lord, what if we DO know what we’re doing, and what we’re doing is evil? Will Your Father, our Father, forgive us? That would be asking an awful lot. In the depth of our soul, Lord, we do not know what we’re doing. How could we comprehend that level of ingratitude on our part? And so we do need mercy and plenty of it. Extend to us Your mercy, O Lord. Especially on this day of days. On Good Friday.

Jesus, I trust in You.