Extravagant (Dog) Love

About this time last year, Ian and I went to the Humane Society. As far as I was concerned, we were just going to "look". Never having that bond that dog people get with furry, four-legged creatures that don't speak English, I thought I was immune. Truth be told, you cannot walk into a place lined with 5X7 cells for DOGS and just "look". But that's all I was going to do. Ian on the other hand, had something else in mind. I learned weeks later that so did God.


We strolled the hallways full of loud, jumpy, scary looking dogs. I continued passing each fence, hoping I had some hand sanitizer in the car. Nothing was catching my eye. That was until we found Koda in the waaaaay back. She was a sweet, calm, quiet newfoundland mix that had me at hello. She was also already adopted and was just waiting for her new family to pick her up. We both liked Koda, and planned to call in a few days to see if she was still there. My mind was made up, if Ian was going to adopt a dog, I wanted it to be Koda, and no one else was going to do.

Then, a few cells down at #8, there was this huge, sad, icky, rough around the edges looking dog. He even had a skin infection that made him even less appealing. *GROSS* Ian fell in love. I grimaced. He didn't look friendly, or cute or cuddly. And he wasn't Koda. Luckily, he also wasn't adoptable.

The next week we went back and Koda was long gone. We wandered and eventually came upon cell #8. In just a weeks time, he was healthier, happier, his tail was wagging and he had even become the favorite amongst many Humane Society employees. And...he was suddenly adoptable. I wasn't sold, but it was clear Ian had been thinking about Baker all week long. A few days later, Ian rescued him and I wondered how much longer I had before the dog out-weighed me. (Not long, in case you're wondering.) Baker only had to pin me up against the wall on his hind legs a few times before I came around to him.

After the wedding, we became a family. Baker was dependent on us for everything. For two people just starting out in adulthood, he was the first being that we had to put before ourselves and consider in all major decisions. He was also our entertainment. Countless hours were spent walking, staring, cuddling, cleaning slobber and admittedly, chasing him. I was in love. We even talked about how much we missed him while we were on our honeymoon. Whaaaa???

He was not only a part of the plan to move to New York. But every plan we made centered around him. We drove so that he wouldn't have to fly with cargo. We chose the home we are in so that he would have enough room to run and play and be a dog. When it was time to look for a new car, we even based our decision around what he would fit in. We were so excited to bring him out here, and were heartbroken when we suddenly had to make a quick decision, on the morning of our move to not bring him with us.

Every cow along I-90 made me think of Baker. When we got here, every place we came across seemed like a place Baker would love. We were sad to leave our families and I had months of crying over that, but the decision to leave Baker behind was swift and a complete shock to the system. We cried a lot not understanding why someone who was such a part of our plan, could no longer be in the picture.

I still wish he could be here with us and quite honestly, the house is boring without him. As I type this, I wonder how ridiculous it might sound to a person who thinks it was just a dog. That might be true, but in any situation it seems to be devastating when we find out that our plan never really coincided with God's plan.

As I go through each day, asking my God what it is that He wants me to do out here, some days I'm left with little understanding. One thing that I know to be true, I seek to serve a God that is trustworthy and patient. Even when I am struggling to trust and be patient with Him. I don't know His plan for me yet, professionally. I think for now, I'm meant to be a loving, supportive wife to a guy with an entirely too busy schedule that is doing the best he can to balance a student's life with a that of a husband's. And as I press on towards the goal of employment, enduring the humiliating task of job searching, let's face it, it is humiliating, I remember that God is our ultimate provider. He's bigger than me, He's bigger than Baker and He's bigger than any fear or anxiety that you or me could ever think up.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Pictures courtesy of Christina Klas

http://www.christinaklas.com/