Well, just last night a little mixed-breed dog named Laika (named after the Soviet space dog and pronounced Lie-ka) had me lying awake pondering God's love.
It all began when I woke up and realized the dog had climbed into bed and curled up for sleep with her head and fuzzy muzzle on my face.
It's her habit to sneak into beds in the middle of the night, probably because she finds little resistance from people who are asleep. Though I'm not so certain why she thinks it's okay to rest her head on my face.
I think her goal is to snuggle in as close as possible. After I gently pushed her off my face, she rested at my side -- or more like attached to my side, with every inch of her touching me.
So where's the theology lesson?
It's easy to see how dogs, renowned for their faithfulness, mirror God's love. And our Lord famously has been called "The Hound of Heaven" for the way He relentlessly pursues us.
Like Laika, He will do anything He can to get our attention. And He desires to be close to us -- as close as possible. That's why Christ became one of us and remains with us in the Eucharist.
And He not only pursues us. Like Laika and other playful pups, He wants us to chase Him, and find Him, in the adventure of a lifetime.
"Come, follow Me," Jesus says.
And in dog-like obedience, we should run to Him, our Master.
Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.
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