It is hard to find someone who doesn’t love dogs. If you do find someone who is not a dog lover you may want to reconsider what you think of that person . . . just kidding, but really people seemed to be drawn to dogs. Jeff and I own two dogs, Peyton and Paycee. They are the joy of our lives. They have brought us so much happiness, and they are there for us when we need them and we cannot imagine our lives without them.

There has been a lot of research done on the effect that dogs have on us. Being with a dog calms us down; petting a dog lowers our blood pressure and puts us at ease. That could explain why 83.3 million households in American own dogs. I have been thinking about dogs a lot lately and how they behave. When we come home at the end of the day, our dogs are so happy to see us. The joy they feel is obvious in every single part of their bodies. They literally shake with happiness at the sight of us. All dogs really want out of life is to be with their owners. They follow us around making sure that they know where we are at all times. When they sleep, they position themselves so that a part of their body is touching us so that they know when we move.

Dogs are truly one of the most, if not the most, loyal creatures on earth. They love unconditionally. They do not care what you look like, what you weigh, how much money you have, how much education you have, where you live, what you drive, what color you are, or if you are a man or a woman. All they care about is that you love them. If you love a dog and take care of it, it will love you more than you could ever love it. Dogs do not hold a grudge. They are so forgiving, and they truly do have the capacity to forgive and forget. Even when we scold our dogs, they love us. Even when we may mistreat our dogs and ignore them, they love us. They do not get mad at us, and they forgive our mistakes instantly.

I have heard people say that the word dog is God spelled backwards. I have dismissed this idea for years, just thinking that it is one of those things that cannot be explained. However, when I think about dogs and how they react to us, it makes me think that there may be something to it. Consider this for a moment. Think about God. When we return to Him after being gone for whatever reason, He is happy to see us. He is overjoyed, and it does not matter how long we were gone. He is just happy to welcome us back. God wants to be with us all the time. In fact, He is with us all the time. He is our constant companion. God loves us unconditionally. He doesn’t care what kind of a person we are, how much money we have, what our profession is, what we believe, or whom we love. He loves us for whom we are. God has the capacity to forgive and forget. When we do something wrong, He forgives us in an instant. If we step away from Him and displease Him through our actions, He is ready to forgive us as soon as we ask, and once He forgives us, it is wiped away. He does not hold grudges and does not make us feel guilty for our past. He is loyal, and He has our best interest in mind at all times. He protects us and just wants to be with us. His presence in our lives calms us down and brings us peace.

So, really when you think about it, God and dogs have a lot in common. God truly knew what He was doing when He created dogs. I believe that God created dogs to be an example to us of God’s love. We can see it and feel it every single day in the presence of our trusted companions. If you find yourself lonely and feel like you have no one in your life who loves you for just you, maybe you should consider adopting a dog. If the situation you are in does not allow you to own a dog, consider volunteering at or supporting an animal shelter. The love you give to a dog will come back to you more than you could ever imagine, just like God’s love. If you have faith in God and follow Him, He will fill your life with more love, hope, and ultimately peace than you could ever imagine, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Below are some images of dogs that I found on Pinterest and Google Images. These pictures give us a small glimpse of the love that dogs can bring to our lives.

A dog hugging a child

This homeless man uses his dog to hide his tears from the camera.

This military dog is a constant companion to his troop members and serves his country with bravery and honor.

This dog gets a ride in his owner's backpack as they take a hike together.

This homeless man cuddles with his dog.