How large can one’s heart grow?

Dan and I love dogs, but we’re gone from home too frequently to keep a pet of our own. Which means we need our ‘dog fix’ from time to time.

Mellie, a purebred mid-sized Labradoodle

Mellie was our latest doggie guest. We took her hiking with us up to the lava flow on Scott Trail …

… to a harvest festival in Christmas Valley on the high desert, and to our church’s fall festival and dinner.

Mellie is smart and patient and loves her walks. My only complaint is that she’s not cuddly. She’d jump up on the couch and allow me to rub her ears and scratch her chest for all of 20 seconds. And then she was out of there.

She looks stressed here—I’m thinking from too much affection

Dan, who’s always up early, was the one to let her out and feed her breakfast. And then Mellie would come romping down the hallway to our bedroom, jump up on the bed, and lick my face fully awake for about 30 seconds. And then the affection time was over. She’d find a place at the foot of the bed and curl up there.

Someone named Jenny Albers wrote an entire blog on why God gave us dogs. Here is a snippet or two from her piece:

God looked down on his creation and said, ‘I need someone who will bring comfort to every human being, someone who will emanate joy at all times. … I need someone whose only purpose is to love.’

So God gave us dogs.

He said, ‘I need someone who will be a keeper of secrets. Someone who isn’t afraid to look into the eyes of hurting people, someone who will always listen intently.’

So God gave us dogs.

I think Ms. Albers nailed it.

It’s about hot air balloons, not dogs

In case you’re thinking this piece is about dogs, it’s not.

It’s about our hearts, and how large they’re capable of expanding to take in more people (and dogs).

Have you ever had the thought that your heart is only so big, and not very many can fit in? And you find yourself thinking you should guard the front door a little better?

I don’t have any scientific evidence, but here’s what I think: There’s no limit to how many people (OK … and dogs) can fit into our hearts.

I believe that every time we gather with people, and every time we vulnerably share our stories, and every time we reach out to offer ourselves in friendship and support, our hearts expand—much like a hot air balloon that rises a little more with each breath of love, with each lit fire.