On January 5, Melanie and I got a new puppy! Our daughter, Isabella, picked him out and we traveled to Staunton, Virginia, to get him — just in time for the snowstorm. He is a cockapoo. We named him Toby, which is short for the Hebrew name, Tobiah, which means, “God is good.” Now, almost two months in as puppy parents, we have experienced the joy and love of one of God’s creatures. God is indeed good! 

We have owned three dogs in our 34+ years of marriage. Brittany was a cocker spaniel who Melanie got me for my 25th birthday. Brittany passed away in September 2000. In 2001, we adopted Dozer, a border collie-black lab mix. Dozer was supposed to be a spaniel mix and 45 pounds. But he had no hint of spaniel and weighed 85 pounds! He passed in November 2016, the year after we were called to HRBC. So, it has been over eight years since we have had a dog.  

I suppose the timing was right. We talked off and on about getting another dog, but we were in no rush. Unbeknownst to us, Isabella had been doing “puppy” research on her own! That Saturday, she face-timed us from Staunton and was holding Toby. Well, that’s all it took. Our girl has always been quite the salesperson! We had to act quickly because Toby and his siblings would sell in no time. Within 24 hours, we were driving home with him in the middle of a snowstorm. 

He has brought such joy into our home, and in just a brief time, he has taught me more about life and faith than I ever expected! One of the things I love most about Toby is how he is present to the world around him. Every time we pass by the daffodils in our front yard, he stops to smell them, as if reminding me to slow down and appreciate the beauty God places in our path. “Bob, stop and smell the roses.” Toby listens to the birds sing and watches the airplanes overhead with childlike wonder — simple moments that remind me to stay curious and open to God’s creation. When I take him out at night, I can see the stars and planets that God made. 

We quickly found Toby to be a dog of deep loyalty and love. When we are eating at the table, he sits at my feet. This reminds me of how we are called to stay close to our Heavenly Father and sit at the feet of Jesus, our Teacher. When I come home from work, it’s like I’ve been gone for a month! Toby’s excitement is uncontainable — his love is unconditional, mirroring, in a small way, the love God has for each of us.  

Toby loves to play ball, eagerly bringing it back to me, almost saying, “Do it again! Do it again!” This reminds me of the joy of both giving and receiving. And, first thing in the morning, he is ready to scout for nocturnal creatures and tracks their scent. Perhaps this can encourage me of the importance of paying attention and learning from the journey we are on. 

In just these couple of months, I am learning a lot from our puppy. Maybe I should say, “re-learning.” There is something profound about the way Toby lives—with joy, trust, and a heart wide open. In many ways, he models the kind of faith Jesus calls us to: one that delights in God’s presence, embraces each moment, and loves with full abandon. May we all take a lesson from Toby this week—to slow down, stay close to our Father, and live with joyful expectancy. 

The season of Lent is a wonderful time to “re-learn” some of these simple practices. I hope you will come to the Ash Wednesday service as we start the journey through Lent toward Easter. As you prepare, visit https://hrbcrichmond.org/lent/ for some great devotional resources and opportunities for worship and learning this Lenten season.  

God is good . . . all the time —