Coalie

When I was twelve, our family went to the Humane Society and picked out a dog. It was a chow mix that had been left behind by a military man who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) take the dog with him when he moved to his next deployment. We named her Coalie because she was as black as coal. She even had a black tongue! Coalie was a good dog and was loyal to our family. When a stranger came onto the property, she would bark and slink around behind him, but never bit (that I knew of). We loved her and took good care of her. As the years went by, Coalie began to feel entitled. She got picky about what she ate, but seniority has its privileges. But then we got a little kitten. Coalie felt secure in her place, and so deferred to the youngster albeit begrudgingly. But the kitten had a playful demeanor, as kittens do, and Coalie lightened up a bit. When my mother fed both pets, the kitten would eat anything that was set before her. Coalie would eat her canned food and then eat the kitten’s leftover food. Before, Coalie had been picky about her food, but she was non-discriminate about eating the kitten’s food. The kitten ate everything, so Coalie ate everything. Coalie’s motivation could have been jealousy, or it could have been gluttony, but the result was the same: after the kitten arrived, Coalie ate everything. Paul said in I Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications (companions) corrupt good manners.” The habits of the kitten led to habits for Coalie. Hey, are you picking up good habits from others who influence you, or are you picking up poor habits from those who influence you? OR … are you influencing someone else for the better? Think about it.