I moved to a large city in November 2009 to take a job as an associate at a large prestigious law firm. I had graduated from Duke University School of Law the previous May. I found a cool, modern apartment in the most happening place in town. To the outside world, it must of have appeared that I had the world at my fingertips. On the inside, however, I was going through a lot of spiritual turmoil. I regularly attended church as a child and I committed my life to Christ when I was thirteen.   As the years went by, however, life’s difficulties became thorns that began to choke the faith that I had embraced with so much joy as a child. I went through a brief period in my mid-twenties where I did not want anything to do with God. Although by the time I had moved I was making an effort to go to church and have a relationship with God, I still had the doubts that plagued me before.   I believed in God and had a desire to be a good person, but I struggled with trusting God because I did not understand some of the hardships I endured and I doubted whether He really had the very best intentions for me.

That’s where my pets come in. During his earthly ministry, Jesus frequently used parables to help his listeners understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.   Although accessible to modern believers, the characters and symbols Jesus used were most relevant to the listeners at the time. I believe God, in His tremendous wisdom and grace, continues to teach us every day, weaving into our lives modern day parables and using examples that make the most sense to us in our current life context. I’ve always loved animals since I was a little girl – it was only natural that God would use a loyal and protective yellow lab mix, a sweet but sassy Maine Coon and an adorable ornery corgi-dalmatian mutt (and a few others), to gently lead me into a deeper understanding of Him. One prayer for animals, sometimes said at the Feast of St. Francis, reads, “They [the pets] have trust in us as we have trust in You.” Seeing my pets’ love and trust in me even when they obviously do not understand fully my motives helped me to trust in God whose thoughts and ways are so much higher than mine.