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Occasionally at night, I toss and turn, fretting over something. Finally, I roll out of bed, and there she is, my dog Shu-shu, standing outside the bedroom door, as if she’s been waiting for me. Are you okay? She wonders. Can we play ball? She is my night angel, a messenger from God to say: Don’t take yourself too seriously where there is a snack to be eaten, a ball to be chased, a warm being to cuddle.
Dogs do life whole-heartedly. Shu-shu’s SO sad when I leave the house, and SO excited when I come back. My spouse and kids don’t greet me like that! And did I mention she’s obsessed with balls? Absolutely addicted. Even a treat won’t lure her away from the chance to chase one. I’m reminded of Martin Luther’s reflection: “If I could only pray the way that dog looks at meat, all his thoughts concentrated on it.” That purity of heart is refreshingly straightforward! I don’t have to spend any time trying to figure out how to please my girl. A snack, a walk, a warm place to sleep. And please, can we chase the ball just one more time? Yes, we can.
This message is excerpted from “Dog days of summer” by Christa Von Zychlin in the June/July/August 2025 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153.