A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse. PROVERBS 27:14 (NLT)

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Our black dog’s body clock is still off an hour. She confidently strolled into our bedroom this morning to awaken me thinking I had overslept. It was 4:11. I dutifully arose and followed her to the door which I closed behind her as she exited. I managed to get another hour of light sleep. It is possible that a nap is in my future today.

Millie the Baby Black Dog is always delighted to serve as my backup alarm clock. She knows that the countdown is on for her breakfast when I take my first steps of the day. Mealtime is her favorite time. She knows I would not want to forget or unnecessarily delay such an important moment. 

If you have never observed a dog in full delight, you should join us some morning as I click off the reading light next to my chair and begin the descent down the stairs. Millie leaps to the floor from three or four steps up. She dances and prances toward the kitchen. She is a happy dog. 

I do love my dogs. Ollie the Border Collie is more patient than Millie, but he too loves his tucker. He marches in place as I prepare his meals. He holds his excitement within while preparing to move immediately to the place where I set his bowl. 

As much as I love my dogs, I am ready for Millie’s stomach clock to adjust. The four o’clock hour on Saturday mornings should be reserved for hunting trips and other adventurous excursions. Normal Saturdays are days to sleep a wee bit later than normal. 

Keep this in mind should you ever be tempted to offer a loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning. It will not feel like a blessing to most folks. Instead, it will be taken as a curse. Even some of us morning people like to ease into the day. It is wise to give us at least one full cup of coffee before speaking to us. 

And please, mute your iPad so that I do not have to listen to the video someone sent you after we went to bed. (Should I leave that last sentence in or delete it when I edit this before hitting SEND?)

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I will keep my morning greetings soft and simple.

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Our Father, thank you for our dogs. They bring us much happiness. Their faithful companionship makes us feel loved and important. Give us grace to temper our enthusiasm early in the morning when we are around those who prefer to ease into the day. Show us how to prevent our ebullience from becoming a burden. Amen.