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A Doggone Great Date
Grab
Tickets to an AKC dog show
Car keys
Go
Check out the schedule for an upcoming dog show. The American Kennel Club website (www.akc.org) lists upcoming events around the country. Look it over with your daughter to choose which competitions and breeds you’ll plan to see.
Prior to the dog show, visit your local library and check out some books with pictures of various breeds. Learn about how dogs are trained and cared for and what it takes to be a champion.
Grow
The dogs at a competitive show are the best of the best. Months of training, grooming, and planning led up to the display you saw today. The judges have determined the criteria for perfection and the dogs have risen to the challenge!
Ask your daughter these questions:
Do you ever feel pressure to be perfect?
What do you think a “perfect you” would look like? Act like? Achieve?
What rewards would there be for being a perfect girl?
It’s a blessing that God doesn’t ask us to be perfect before he loves us. Romans 5:8 assures us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Also,
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103:13–14)
God doesn’t want us to take advantage of his mercy as an excuse to continue in our sin, but we don’t have to worry that he’ll turn us away or take away his love if we fail.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38–39)
It’s important we show that same grace to our families and friends. We are guaranteed to have bad moods, show disrespect, and let each other down from time to time. Make a commitment right now to love like Christ: patiently, unconditionally, and forever!
Thank you for the chance to see those amazing dogs today. You made some amazing animals for us to enjoy! We’re so glad we’re not under pressure to be perfect all the time. Thank you for loving us no matter what and being patient with us in our weakness. Help us to give each other that same kind of grace even as we want to be more like Christ every day. Amen!