Maya
Well, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve joined the ranks of a certain demographic that I NEVER thought I would join. I am officially a dog-lover. It’s not that I’ve ever had anything against dogs—we had a wonderful dog named Conan, a monstrous St. Bernard/German Shepherd mix when I was a boy and I loved him fiercely—but as an adult I’ve never had any desire to own one myself. In fact I’ve been so reluctant to get one that I’ve even tried to curb my daughters’ longing for a dog with multiple goldfish and a cat named Pawsy (we dog lovers know that goldfish and cats don’t quite cut it). I’m learning something, though, as a dog-lover. I’m learning that there’s something in the human soul that eventually melts against the force of unconditional, non-judgmental, adoring love. And that’s making me think about God Himself and the fact that He created puppies (granted, He also created cats and great white sharks but that’s not the point), and I’m overwhelmed with the fact that a household pet could be the repository of such profound love. Interestingly, the name Caleb means "the heart of the dog." Caleb, if you recall, was the dude in Joshua 14 who, at 85 years old, still wanted to fight God’s enemies. I never thought I’d say it, but I’m actually learning a lot from Maya.