Our dog Jack has been a gem of a pet from the beginning. The absence of a bark was what first drew our attention to him as he sat in a chain-link cage at a pet rescue center, awaiting adoption. Sitting quietly in his assigned cell, he looked sad compared to every other dog, all of whom were barking, pawing at the cage doors, even leaping up and down.

When we learned he’d been in the cage less than an hour and was only 9 months old, we brought him home. True to his demeanor at the shelter, he’s been a docile, quiet dog for the 8 years we’ve had him, friendly to other dogs in the neighborhood.

Last week an unfriendly yellow lab whose owner had shouted out a caution to us, began wagging as he and Jack did their circular sniffing. “Wow!” she said, anxious over her dog’s response to ours. “I can’t believe it! He isn’t being aggressive!” It was as if Jack had taught him to wag.

But this week something sad happened to our wagging Jack. His long tail seemed unable to show the cheerful emotion it always had. It hung limply as if he’d had a stroke-of-the-tail. He seemed nervous, unsettled, hovering close to one of us at all times. Because he’d never been a complainer, we couldn’t tell if anything hurt.

All of us have days when we don’t feel like wagging. Our spirits hang limp and even the effort to smile seems too much. It’s no fun for others to be around us, and that works both ways; we don’t want to be with others, either. At that low point the unconditional love of God kicks into high gear.

No bad mood or sour disposition can discourage him from wanting to be with us. When we’re bad company for others, he’s moves close to spend time with us. Best of all, when we don’t feel we can go on, he supplies a reason we can. Our doldrums are an easy fix for him, if we just ask.

God even cares for animals. We googled, “Can a dog break his tail?” and found online help. The most logical explanation for Jack’s limp tail is soft tissue trauma such as a bruise. We thought back over the last few days and remembered a moment when he’d fallen backwards while trying to jump into the back of a car. That same leap used to be easy but this summer has been iffy. Most likely he landed on the base of his tail in a crooked way, because it was that night his tail stopped wagging.

The online vet assured us, “It’ll resolve in a few days,” good news for all of us, especially Jack. Next week he turns 9. What would a birthday party be without a wagging tail?

“The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.” (Psalm 32:10b)