Dog Years And Human Years

Dog Years and Human Years

Typically when we talk about the ages of dogs, we often use the term “dog years.” While not entirely accurate, you can calculate the actual “age” of your dog by multiplying every “dog year” by seven “human years.” Dogs just age faster and don’t live as long as humans. (But it’s a good thing they live longer than fruit flies, whose average life span is thirty days.) When you think about it that way, little Pusuke accomplished something remarkable. The Shiba mix from Japan, who was the world record holder as the oldest dog on earth, passed away at the age of twenty-six in December 2011. The comparable human age was calculated to be between 118 and 185 years old.

That’s amazing, for either a dog or a human. The story was more remarkable because Pusuke survived being hit by a car only three years earlier.

Sometimes we see things in this world that seem unbelievable. People live to ages once unimaginable. They survive traumatic situations. Some people who were once thought to be long lost—perhaps dead—are found again. But these things are not really inexplicable. These circumstances, as amazing as they can be, are reminders that there’s a God who can do what seems impossible.

Take the example of Abraham and his wife Sarah. In Genesis 18, when Abraham was ninety-nine years old and Sarah was ninety years old, God told Abraham that in another year Sarah would have a son.

Sarah’s reaction was understandable: she laughed. She thought they were too old to have a baby. She forgot, or didn’t believe, that God had promised them years earlier that they would have a son . . . and more descendants than the stars in the sky.

One year later, exactly when God said it would happen, Abraham and Sarah became the parents of Isaac (see Genesis 21:1-2). When we read God’s promises, we should always remember one thing: he will do anything holy and righteous, even the impossible, to keep his word. The reminders of his extraordinary abilities are all around us!

Daddy-Daughter Time

Do a quick search together of some “incredible but true” stories of heroism, survival, or lost and found. Make special note of how many times people use the words miracle or unbelievable.

Give God praise together for the amazing, “impossible” things he does. And keep your eyes and ears open. The next time something amazing happens, just remind each other: “That’s not unbelievable; that’s just God!”

What’s The Word?

The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.   Genesis 21:1