Good morning…

First thing each morning, I lift our fluffy, seven pound dog from the bed. I cuddle her. I snuggle her. I cradle her in my arms. Seven pounds was the average birth weight of our four children, so my body starts the day silently remembering the cuddling, the snuggling, the cradling of beloved days gone by.

Our dog Gracie is a lot like an infant. She only makes noise when she has a need. She whines for attention when she is hungry or she is thirsty, she has to go potty or she wants to curl up her sleepy self in our closet. When I hear her little voice raise, I check her bowls, her food and her water. I see if she is standing at a door, to outside or to our bedroom. When I have checked off all the possible needs and she is still craving attention, I have learned that her need is “finger to fur time.”

She rolls over on her back so I can rub her belly. The beauty of “finger to fur time” is that Gracie benefits and so do I. When I google “benefits of petting an animal,” these twenty-seven photos from WebMD say it all. These pictures are worth twenty-seven thousand words. Enjoy!

Jesus knew well the healing power of touch.
Of him it was said: All the people were trying to touch Him, because [healing] power was coming from Him and healing them all, Luke 6:19 (AMP),

Sue
Slideshow: 27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health