Evie Howard, also known as EV, came into my life on a whim. Adam (my boyfriend at the time, now husband) was absolutely obsessed with the dog breed Corgi mixed with Australian Shepherd. I was for sure this was just a phase. Low and behold he found a Corgi Shepherd mix down the road in Tallahassee. Needless to say, just a few short days after finding her on a Facebook group, we were on the road to Tallahassee to pick up a puppy.
Of course, I was excited! Who doesn’t love a puppy? And even better, it was Adams dog, so I got all the joy of having a puppy without the puppy responsibility. Little did I know a year later, Adam and I would be married, living together and Evie was officially mine. Sometimes Adam jokes and ask me if I will sign a Pre-pup-tual agreement, but he is just trying to be punny!
As I adjusted to living with a husband and dog I started to see something about EV that I never even imagined. This cute almost twenty-pound dog started to open my eyes to show me more about my relationship with God. That’s right. My dog has helped me understand how much God loves me and is pursuing me. At first, I just thought she was annoying. She wants to be at my feet all the time, she wants to be in every room I was in, she wants to be physically connected to me by me petting her!
Then it hit me one day when she followed me into the bathroom and I got so annoyed. I believe that God gave me EV to give me an example of how I should desire to be connected to my master. My eyes started to open and understand that as EV wants to be in my presence no matter what, I should have the same desire to be in the presence of my Master. As EV goes wherever I lead her I should follow wherever God leads me without asking questions. How EV listens to commands (most of the time) and does as she is told, that is the same obedience that I believe God is calling me to. As EV is excited to see me and spend time with me, is the same excitement and energy that I should get when I am spending time with God. And as she is so quick to fall asleep in my hands to catch up on rest, is the same way that God wants me to simply crawl up in His presence and find rest. As EV has full faith that I will provide for her whether is it food, water, shelter, or play time, I should have faith that my Master will provide for me as well.
As I am busy about my day and look at Ev, I can only imagine that the joy that she brings me is relatable to the joy that God feels glancing down at me! When I am so thankful and happy to have EV in my life, I can only think that God feels the same to call me His child!
I thought I was just getting into being a dog mom. I have no idea I would have a constant reminder of how good, faithful, and kind my heavenly father is to me. My desire every day is the same as EV’s, to simply be as close to my Master as possible.
Keep your head up high and your words filled with love!
-Colleen Howard