Weekly Devotionals

July 19, 2010

What the Baroness Katarina Is Teaching Us

Wry Observations from Elizabeth Rice Handford

If you've run into my husband Walt in the last few days, he's probably shown you a picture of our new Vizsla puppy. She was born on Walt's 86th birthday. She's Hungarian, so we've named her the Baroness Katarina. She condescends to let us call her Katy when it's time to eat.

We've learned a lot of things from Katy since she's been in our home. She likes anything with tassles-shoe laces, rugs, draperies. She's afraid of thunder, a strange dog's bark, the garbage man's truck. She'll chew anything she can reach- the morning paper, a dropped napkin, a sofa pillow. Because she's a hound, she stands to point the minute she sees the mocking bird who lives in the crepe myrtle next door. She is a bundle of energetic curiosity and exhausted tiredness.

But there's one thing that little puppy has taught us that we yearn to emulate in our relationship with God. She wants to be with us every second of every minute of every hour. She can never get too close to us. If I pick her up, she clambers up until she can nestle her nose in my neck. If we're watching television, she wants to plop down between us, and the tighter the squeeze, the more she enjoys it. If we reprove her (which happens frequently-that's why we're so tired!) she stops, sits down, and waits, puzzled, to see what we want. She doesn't pout when she's told to stop nipping; she just looks for another way to express her delight in belonging to us. No matter what she is doing, she is constantly aware of where we are and what we want. Though we've had her for only nine days, she loves us to the depths of her little being, her heart, her mind, and her body.

I wish I expressed my love to God as well as Katy does toward us. He certainly deserves our love. He's rescued us from death, kept us safe, showered innumerable mercies on us every day, committed Himself to watching over us until He can give us all the glories of Heaven. Why wouldn't we want to love Him?

For all that love He has expressed to us, what does He ask in return? Only that we love Him with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and yes, even our strength. He wants us to be aware always of His presence, to find joy just in being with Him, to understand that He disciplines us to help us, not hurt us, to love Him for Himself, not just for His gifts.

What a profound lesson we have learned from a little puppy only nine weeks old!