Dogs were supposed to live outside.  I didn't need another problem in my house with four kids.  So the collie stayed outdoors.  His name was White Feet.  We called him Feet.  He was a great dog for all the kids on the block and was the goalie for Scott's soccer team.   "Best goalie we ever had," was Scott's opinion.

Back then, people left their dogs in the yard if the dog was gentle and nobody complained.  And since Feet was so great with children, everyone on the block took care of him.  All the children adored him.  When the kids went to school, he went too.  When they went inside the building, Feet came home and waited for the noon recess bell to ring.  When it rang, off he would go to play soccer.

But one day, he vanished.  Nobody knew where he was and we were all crushed.  Kids  from school kept checking our house to see if he had returned.  But he didn't.  We assumed that somebody had stolen him.

A few months later, as I was going out the front door, I heard a whimper and lying there on the front lawn was Feet.   His paws were raw on the bottom and bleeding from walking for who knows how far.  I brought him in the house.  Any dog that loves you enough to tear up their feet trying to make it home deserves a little "house" time.

The word "Faithful" comes to mind when describing our dog Feet.

There are nine characteristics of the Christian life.  Feet, even though he was a dog, had them all.

 Galations 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance…"

We should all be as good as a dog.