Connecting with God’s Creatures

 

When I was a young girl, my cousin Alison had a dog named Cubby. He was a small black and white terrier-type dog, and Alison was very attached to him, and he was very protective of her. This was a mystery to me. I grew up in a small, crowded house with parents and four siblings, and no pets, probably because there was no room for them. Once, when I asked my aunt why Alison was so attached to Cubby, she told me, “well, Alison doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, so he’s like family to her.”

That didn’t make sense to me then, but it does now. When Art and I were first married, we had parakeets. When our children arrived, it turned out they were animal-lovers-deep-in-their-hearts, so we had guinea pigs, and then our first dog, Kaiser, a black miniature Schnauzer who lived to be very old. We’ve had dogs ever since then, including Sara, Maggie, and Mr. Magoo. Except for Kaiser, all of them have been rescue dogs. They became part of our family, with all the ups and downs that goes with that. Maggie – “Miss Mags” – was the first dog who was really mine. Kaiser was Julie’s dog and Sara was David’s. This was true even after they left home – you know how that goes! Maggie certainly was Art’s too, but she was the first dog I knew well, as mine. Miss Mags died last summer, and it’s still hard to write that. Mr. Magoo is still with us, and is part of our family.

I know that not everyone loves animals, and some people are allergic to them, or simply don’t want to be around them. All of us, though, are connected to God’s creatures, in small and large ways. For some of us, they’re really part of our family. For others, we appreciate their antics and beauty from afar or in pictures, or in other ways. This year’s worship theme is Connecting to God and One Another, and for the first few weeks of the year, we’re talking about Connecting to Creation. On Sunday, Jan. 28, our focus is on God’s Creatures as Gifts. Our Animal Ministry Team will have a table with information in the courtyard, and Susan Putt will share a bit about her experience with her therapy dog.

Connecting to God and others, including God’s creatures, strengthens and uplifts us. Come and see!

Blessings, Sharon