My dog Mojo and I are similar. We both love snacks. And naps. We both have wet noses and hair growing out of our ears. And we both have a healthy aversion to the vacuum cleaner.
You learn a thousand things watching a dog. Disgusting things. Worthwhile things too. When I see my dog pursue parked cars I learn that some things aren’t worth chasing. When I arrive home and am attacked by this fur ball who can’t believe I came back, I determine to take a more active interest in others. Watching Mojo I’ve learned to wag more and bark less. I’ve learned there’s a time to stand up for what’s right, though clamping my teeth on someone’s ankles is taking it too far.
I’ve come to see that if you want to know God better, get yourself a dog. Here are just two things about God I’ve learned from my dog.
Beg more. Late at night I prepare a snack plate and tiptoe past this sleeping hound. But the moment I climb in, she’s there. Her nose is inches from my face, the little beggar. I came close to a heart attack the first time this happened, then remembered James 4:2-3, “You have not because you ask not.” God invites us to pray. To beg. George Muller cared for 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. He said, “The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it.” My dog reminds me to go ahead and ask.
Go home. Mojo is old now. On walks, she lags behind, but the moment we turn toward home, she tugs at the leash and picks up speed. Home promises her a bone, apricots, a carpet to roll in. Home is where her people are. When we focus on our eternal home our joy level skyrockets too. We’re not content to leave this world as it is. C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”
I hope you’ll be a little bit dog-like. That you’ll long for heaven, that you’ll kneel by the sofa and take your requests to God. Of course, if you have a dog and take a snack plate along, keep one eye open at all times.
