Greetings,

I have a dog. He is my favorite kind of dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog. His name is Samwise (like the Hobbit). Many of you have met Sam. He loves people--sometimes too much. He assumes everyone is his best friend. Sometimes we have people over to the house who are either allergic to dogs or not fans of dogs, especially significantly sized dogs. We keep Sam downstairs most of the time but he loves being outside and being around people. Pets are a large responsibility. They are great but they are difficult.

I was very saddened to hear that three families in our fellowship lost a dog this last week. While there isn't much about pet ownership in the Bible, we do see often how God cares for His entire creation. Psalm 147:9 “He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” Jesus said in Luke 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” We also see that the lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God; it is implied that God feeds them (Psalm 104:21).

God absolutely loves all of His creation and I think when we care for His creation along side of Him, it helps us to build a perspective toward God that few others experiences can create. Pets can teach us lots of things, whether it is new puppies with their naivety and curiosity that can make us laugh or frustrate us, or a good old dog that lazily hops along, faithfully barking still at new comers into the driveway.

I think the love of a faithful pet is indicative of our desire for authentic community. We desire faithful companions so much that we become very attached to the faithful friend that communicates with a look, bark, meow, neigh, scratch or whatever a bunny does. As we walk through this life my hope is that each of us would slow down and thank God for the little things in life that can bring great joy.  Aim to be a faithful friend. Seek out true community with the believers in your life. 

Love ya,

Chris