More from S. G. Beck

Oatley is seven years old now and it amazes me to look back and see what God has done in my relationship with Jesus since the puppy walks.

I’ve had complicated relationships with men most of my life and, to be honest, Jesus intimidated me. Around the time we got Oatley, I felt an impression that God was asking me to study David so searched around and ended up in a Bible study that was covering his life. I connected with so much about him: his emotions, his failures, his deep desire to please God . . . most of the time. As I connected with David, I felt my heart opening toward seeing Jesus in a new way. After all, Jesus is the better David.

Around the same time, I began to ask myself if I truly loved God. I’d been a Christ-follower most of my life but realized I wasn’t sure about my actual love for God. Obedience and belief? Sure. Faith in who God says he is and the lordship of Jesus? Absolutely. But could I say that I loved him?  I wasn’t sure what to do about it, so I just started asking God to help me love him. He answered with a yes! Great affection for him grew and I wanted more than anything else in my life to spend time with him. It made scripture come alive in a new way, spending time hearing from the one I loved.

I began reading through the Bible chronologically, cover to cover, year by year. This was new for me. That exercise grew into a spiritual practice that I can’t imagine living without. I highly recommend it! It continues to take me deeper into what matters in God’s kingdom and shows me more of who God is.

I didn’t know there were battles on my horizon. God knew and, in his kindness and generosity, was making me ready. I experienced difficult challenges with each of my children, close relationships getting rocky, loss of people I loved, but I was prepared and sustained by God through the deeper relationship that began during quiet pasture walks with Oatley.