GOD’S LOVE LETTER TO ME

“I don’t want another dog!”

Having just completed my first ever novel, and gone through the stress-filled process of filling out query letters, creating plot summaries, and shipping it off to be reviewed and rejected, the last thing I wanted was a puppy. I’d earned a break, hadn’t I? All I wanted to do was sit on the couch, relax, and binge watch Gilmore Girls.

Which, I did. Just, not in peace, with zero chance of relaxing, and with a puppy snoozing on her back beside me.

“I don’t want another dog.”

Gosh, did I come to eat those words. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have been eating those words since the day Oakley Anne came into our lives. Actually, she kept me up the entire night that first night. So, more like the day after she came into our lives.

What I thought was a cruel act from my family, who clearly didn’t love me, was actually a gift from God. An answer to prayers that hadn’t even been uttered yet. A best friend. A confidant. A comfort. A love letter, sent straight from Him.

What is contained in that love letter, you might ask?

6:00 AM wake up calls, that’s for sure. For no one else in the world would I get bundled up to go outside and throw a ball across the crunchy grass. But when Oakley comes sprinting back towards me, ball in her mouth, ears flapping, and a smile on her face? The frost-covered cheeks are more than worth it.

Butt scratches. Oakley will scratch her butt on anything, and it is the cutest thing ever.

Lots of snuggles. A couple of months ago, I awoke in the middle of the night from a terrible nightmare. I could not get back to sleep, and the last thing I wanted to be was alone. So, I crept down the hall, guided Oakley into my room, where she happily snuggled up against my back to help me return to sleep. No irritation at having been awoken during her peaceful slumber. No, just pure love.

Sneak attacks, as evidenced in the picture above. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a dog that gives kisses so freely, but Oakley Anne throws them out like pieces of candy from a parade float. You can pretend you don’t want it, but ultimately, she knows that you really do, and will wear you down until you give in with a smile and a laugh.

Friendship. Though it was only one-sided at first. She had to wear me down, and she was given lots of time to do it. Oakley Anne and I spent every second together during those first couple of months. Never did we have a bathroom break alone. And as such, we are pretty much joined at the hip, now. There is nothing quite as sweet as seeing your dog waiting for you at the door when you get home.

Antics. Let’s be real, Oakley Anne can be quite the pill sometimes. She scares me half to death when she sits on the back of the couch like a cat, and her bark is a piercing sound, but then she looks at you with crazy, love-filled eyes, and you can’t help but grin.

Memories. One of my favorites of Oakley is when she somehow managed to find the one mud puddle in the backyard, roll around in it, and then sit proudly with a smile on her face. It’s really hard to be mad at that face.

Comfort. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve endured almost every waking minute together since her birth, or because she is just really emotionally intelligent, but Oakley knows when I need her. And she doesn’t know it and look at me with disgust, like Lulu. No, the minute she hears the sniffle of tears, she comes streaking down the hall to come and lick them off of my face. She fights to find me in the moments I need her most. She has been a literal answer to prayer, more than once.

Confidant. Oakley is a good listener. You can talk to her about anything, and she keeps it to herself. She doesn’t always heed the commands you give her, but she’s willing to listen while you pour out your soul to her.

Smiles. No one can bring a smile to my face like Oakley. No one can bring sunshine through my clouds quite like this little ball of golden fluff.

Love. On this day of love, I am in awe of the love she has for me. No matter how frustrated I get with her, or if I have a headache and can’t play fetch, or if I push her care and concern away, Oakley’s love never wavers. It is pure and immovable.

I honestly don’t know what I would do without Oakley Anne in my life. So, on this day of love, I’m basking in the love the my Savior and Heavenly Father have shown me, by gifting me Oakley. This blog isn’t for anyone but she, I, and Them. It’s a display of gratitude for the pup that wormed her way into my heart, and the loving Savior and Heavenly Father who sent her my way.

She is God’s love letter to me.