stella artois gallen
owning a pet is a lot like having a child. or so i’ve been told. i can’t make a straight line comparison because, well, i don’t have a kid.
i still have eyes and ears, however, so i definitely buy into the comparison.
but in the little more than a year that we have had our puppy, stella, i’ve found another comparison:
our dog is a lot like god.
i’m not suggesting that our dog is a god. nor am i implying she is even god. but, as we all have the light of christ inside of us, stella reflects many notable traits of that of the big guy up beyond the clouds.
- she loves unconditionally. she enjoys people and interacting with them and playing and just being with them. regardless of who they are, stella will walk up to them, her whole body wiggling, looking to play. i imagine god much the same way. (except for the body wiggle. then again…) he loves us and wants to know us and be with us. he meets us where we are on the journey. as james 4:8 tells us, “draw near to god and he will draw near to you.” when you draw near to our puppy, she definitely draws near to you.
- our pooch is eternally forgiving. i’ll admit – and my wife can attest – there have been times the dog has driven me absolutely bonkers. she has chewed innumerable items, devastated our back yard, and marked territory in every room of the house. during some of those moments, i’ve yelled and screamed and grown angry. even during walks, i have sometimes pulled the leash a bit too hard if i became frustrated with her. despite my occasional anger, frustration, and harsh tone toward her, stella always comes back to me when i call with a kiss, a wagging tail, and a loving spirit.
- like god, stella is always around. even when i want to be left alone. i may have moments of frustration. i may be upset. during those sour moods, the last thing i want is to deal with the dog or have her jump up onto the couch and burrow herself between me and a pillow. but she does it, paying little, if any, mind to my foul mood. and isn’t god the same way? even when we want to simply wallow in our self-pity, he makes a point of reminding us he’s present and always will be.
ok, i’ll admit, my comparisons may be a bit of a stretch. but, hey, dogs are man’s best friend, after all. what better comparison is there than that?
question: where do you see god in your life?
