Today is the day my baby turns 1! My little four-legged, wiry fur covered, fun-loving, affectionate puppy has brought me so much joy in the past 9 months I’ve had her.
In early March, I went to a friend’s, friend’s house not knowing what I was getting into. I walked into the backyard to see the 5 crazy dogs that were back there, 2 of which they had found on the street and were going to send to a shelter soon. As the 4 other big dogs were running around the yard like crazy animals, the tiny one trotted over to me, as I knelt on the ground, and laid her tiny little head on my bent leg. She looked at me with her big brown eyes that had a black line of eyeliner around them and I instantly fell in love. I took her in my arms and held her over my shoulder like a newborn baby and couldn’t bring myself to let her go. She was mine that day. There was no way I was letting that little baby who chose me go to the shelter…so I took her with me.
As I considered different names, I thought about the name Reina, which means queen in Spanish. But I just didn’t feel that name fit…but I loved the meaning. I had heard somewhere that Rayah was a nickname for Reina so I decided that would be her name. I quickly found out that the name I had chosen was not a nickname for Reina but a different meaning entirely. I somehow looked up the Hebrew meaning of Rayah, and it meant “companion”. She truly has been my companion since the first moment I met her and held her in my arms.
My little 12 pound, 3 month old sweetheart learned quickly, all she wanted to do was please me and obey. She always wanted to be with me and was constantly on my heels trying to learn something new and be near me. She cuddles on my lap when I sit on the floor and she cries with joy every time I return home and her whole body wiggles. I had to learn that discipline with her looked different because in her first 3 months of life she had been abused and cowered if anything was lifted above her, even if it was never directed toward her.
It might seem weird, obsessive or cliché to post a blog about my puppy, but I have learned so much just by having this sweet little dog for 9 months. I didn’t ever expect to have a puppy before the World Race and I even thought about fighting it and not keeping her but the Lord showed me through her affection toward me and the name I unknowingly named her that she is my companion. I have learned how to love sweeter and to be more selfless.
The Lord has also showed me that I need to be more like Rayah in my affection and desire for Him. I want to be so in love with Jesus that every time I step into His presence I come wiggling with cries of joy, affection, and so weak in the knees with love that I fall into His arms and just want to love and be loved.
My prayer is that I can be like that with Jesus, that He will continue to teach me how to love Him harder and sit in His presence without expectations but simply to love and be loved.
