[from the archives]
Right around the time of the events I’ve been writing about over my last few blog posts (starting here), our family got a dog named Rusty. I grew up having dogs, and I’ve always loved dogs. My husband didn’t grow up with dogs, and didn’t really care for them, and my kids had always been afraid of dogs. But the deer were eating my roses, and my husband’s fruit trees, so we finally decided to get a dog for the first time in our family life.
Having a dog brought me many happy memories. I didn’t realize how fond of them I was and how much I’d missed having one until we got Rusty. He was a two year old black lab and he was very well trained. He stayed outside close to the house and faithfully kept the deer away. He was always glad to see me, especially if I would throw something for him to fetch.
One late afternoon in November, the kids and I were coming home from spending the day at a friend’s house. My husband Tim was home before us. He explained that he’d heard this horribly loud gust of wind come up and then a thunderous crash. After investigating he discovered that the gust of wind had ripped off the entire aluminum awning, face board and all from the front deck, tossed it up over the house, across the road, and into the neighbor’s yard!
We inspected the deck, and picked up some of the pieces, then I went to get dinner started. After dinner I began to wonder where Rusty was. Tim couldn’t remember seeing him since the awning was ripped off. I went outside and 
began to call for him, but couldn’t find him. It was dark by then, and I started to get worried. I wondered if he’d been injured by the awning since he usually stayed on the deck, and I imagined he was probably there when the whole thing was ripped off.
I got a flashlight to go search for him. To my surprise, Phillip put on his coat and came with me. We searched all over our property, and then we searched the next over vacant property. Phillip stayed right with me tirelessly searching along side me. I puzzled to myself, “I don’t remember Phillip seeming like Rusty was that important to him.” It seemed pretty clear in the family that Rusty was my dog and having a dog was my thing.
I got in the car to go driving down the next road. Phillip wanted to come with me. He shone the light down one side while I shone mine down the other. We spent the whole evening together searching for Rusty, and we didn’t find him.
My concern for Rusty grew as we traveled farther and farther from our home calling for him. Phillip’s concern for him grew too. I didn’t realize it until later but Phillip was taking up my concerns and making them his own. I came to understand later that He was not personally concerned so much about my dog, he was concerned about me, and I was concerned about my dog. He was rising up and entering into my life, which on that evening had become full of worry for my dog.
My loving investment into Phillip’s life through my affection and affirmation and encouragement over the last month or so (which I’ve been writing about in my last blog posts starting here) was leading him to raise his view from inward self-focus to become focused on me and what concerned and interested me. My loving investment was changing him and filling him with desire to be with me, and to be part of my life. Love was drawing his heart toward mine. But that’s not all……
[originally posted October 2010]