My thunderously joyful and in-your-face lab has something God has. And you can have it, too.

Jesus said, “You are seeing things only through a human point of view, not from God’s.” — Mark 8:33b

This is a picture of Sarah, my animal shelter rescue lab cross. Including Bubba the cat (pictured with my computer here on my site’s home page), Sarah is the sixth (and final?) in the line. She is the baby in the family.

And yes, she shows all the tendencies of the youngest child: playful, reckless, carefree (not careful), jubilant, and unrestrained in her great love for her pack. The older five are her best buds, which, depending on her energy level and theirs, does not always work in reverse.

Sarah has been with us a full seven months. Notable progress has been made in our time together, yet let me say she has ALL the traits of a lab under the age of two. She jumps on people. She also jumps on cars. She barks the Big Bark when a utility or delivery truck pulls up the drive.

I did say the words “notable progress,” right? She is improving.

She is also remarkable. Her heart stole mine the moment we met at the animal shelter this past summer.

I write of Sarah because I believe deep in my soul that she sees things not from the human point of view, though she sometimes tries to do this. Intuitively, and this is why I write of her, Sarah sees things from God’s point of view.

It‘s totally true. Sarah sees things from God’s point of view. 

No matter how great her infraction, and I speak now of her chewing things that should not be chewed (like the couch) with the heaven-help-us disciplinary measures that follow, she always comes back with the greatest love as if nothing sour had happened. She is just that full of love. She is just that wonderful. This is how God responds to us.

God’s love is not as simple as a dog’s love, and the comparison can only go so far, but I’ll tell you something: when Sarah puts her big dog head on my lap or shoulder, you know something deep in your bones, something far beyond what any words anyone can speak: THIS is love, pure love.

Oh, she loves me. She loves me full throttle, all out, no exceptions, no past hurts. Just present, amazing and consuming love.

I have one last thing to share. I’ve been a dog man my whole life. Sarah is the only one in my history who, speaking from love, will completely lay on top of me. Wrapping her front paws between my head or over my shoulders, she chooses for us to be chest to chest, stomach to stomach, and oh yes, heart to heart.

Do things the way Sarah does things. Full on. No regrets. Nothing small. It’s all big. It’s all in the moment.

When you do these bold actions, you will see from God’s point of view.

PRAYER: Lord, we know G-o-d spelled backwards is d-o-g. (You had Your hand in that one, didn’t you?) Help us live lives full on so that we have no regrets. Make our love big like Your love, and when we, like Sarah, are totally in the moment, may we realize that yes, we can see things through Your point of view. Amen.