Envy is a universal emotion; over the years I have read articles on its unsatisfied apatite. I have seen this emotion in myself, others and even my pets. We have an outside dog, which is an Australian Shepherd named Sully. We also have an inside dog, which is a Maltese named Mowgli. Sully obviously has Mowgli envy and it is almost impossible for me to resolve.
Sully has a comfortable life in our garage and on the back porch. He is kept warm and dry in the winter and cool in the summer, but Sully wants the couch! I often see him come to the French doors and peer in, longingly, at Mowgli lounging on someone’s lap or just laying on a pillow, on the couch.
It was this scenario which led to a planned invasion by man’s best, outside, friend. One morning my wife decided to go onto the back porch to water the ferns. When she opened the door, Sully stuck his snout through the crack, then his head, his shoulders and the rest of his envious body and shot the gap. He pushed his way in despite the screaming objections of my wife, raced across the living room and leapt into the air. Once airborne, he cleared the ottoman in a single bound making several rather athletic and graceful maneuvers, similar to that of an Olympic gymnast. Once he arrived at the coveted spot, he stuck the landing, right on the couch! The screaming, dragging, and flying of fur which ensued was unparalleled before or since.
I have learned something from observing Sully. He has not shot the gap again but occasionally he will stick his snout into the door when it is opened just a tiny bit to test the perimeter. He seems to be satisfied with his chair on the back porch but I bet envy still lurks in his thoughts. He is waiting and biding his time, to once again invade and take by calculated force the object of his envy.
“Love does not envy…” 1st Cor. 13:4
