Puppies and a Christian Worldview

For the last few weeks our family has wanted to adopt a dog. We have gone to look at several but none were just right for our family. After Worship today we stopped by a house that was advertising puppies last week. There were all adopted. So we came home a little disappointed. We assured our four-year-old son (David) that God had the right dog for us. He was even in control of puppies. We talked about God knowing everything and how he does the best for us, even when it makes us sad for a time. David was sure that God even knew the name of our puppy.

Later this afternoon my wife found some puppies listed on the Internet. They were about an hour away and we had time to visit them before the shelter closed. They were just right, so right that we decided to adopt the final two sisters. (Dogs need family too.) On the drive home David was double excited. He said, “I knew God had a dog for us, but I never thought he would have two!” We talked about how God can bless us beyond what we imagine. We and settled on “Rascal” and “Ruthie” for their names.

While driving home we prayed. We thanked God for the puppies. We asked God to help the puppies to not be afraid. We asked God to help us love and care for the puppies. We asked God to help the puppies grow and be healthy.

While driving we also talked. I asked my son, “Who did God let name the first animals.” He answered, “Adam.” Then we discussed the job God gave Adam and Eve. We can glorify God by how we care for animals. David was excited about his new job helping to take care for the puppies.

This was not a formal Bible lesson I planned for my family. There are some things I could have said better. We were simply living out our Christian worldview. Knowing God affects every aspect of our lives, even how we choose family pets. God-centered parenting is a natural outflow of living God-centered lives. These informal times and shared experiences of God’s faithfulness are priceless. We learn together as a family to trust God in all things. So whether it is traffic jams, or puppies, or pregnancy, or cancer: we can trust God in every situation.