Not sure which one rescued the other. After making the rounds of all the shelters on a cold January day, I told Dorothy I really wanted to bring him home with us. There was something about the way he looked at me when I spoke to him.

It had been less than two months since our son was killed; our 10- year-old Rottweiler mix had died suddenly just before that. Though surrounded by family, friends, and acquaintances, I was experiencing a general sense of loneliness.

I think, in retrospect, it was simply grief. Whatever it was, this great big hunk of unruliness seemed to take the edge off it. We were quizzed, interrogated and even cautioned by the shelter that he might be too big and unmanageable for people ‘our age’, but I was adamant. This was my next best friend. And so he has become.

Champ was full of personality from the first day he came into our home and family. Full of energy and enough curiosity for any five cats, at a whopping 90 pounds he could be a challenge for a couple ‘our age’ at times.

But love. As his challenges were met by grace and love from his new family, we all began the journey of growing toward center. Just three years later, I can barely move from room-to-room without him wanting to be there. This dog, once deemed unruly and destructive and cast aside, has become one of the best friends I’ve ever had. It’s clear he simply wants to be near us, be loved, and experience life as one who is accepted.

To a great extent, he defines my relationship with God.

As a young man I was defiant and unruly, constantly looking for the boundaries I was not yet living on. Situations I could not control I lashed out against, and I found myself written off by even those who were closest to me. Perhaps especially by them. But God. God saw more in me than I saw in myself. He saw the look in my eyes as one person warned another I wasn’t worth the effort. He took me in, called me son, and my many challenges were met repeatedly by His patient grace and love.

Today, when I see God moving, that’s where I want to be. Just as Champ sits at (or ON) my feet, I want nothing more than to be near my master and enjoy simply being together. In every situation, I pray I find myself resting in God’s favor, pleasing Him in all I do.

Thank you, God, for showing me what rescue looks like and for transforming me into someone who sees the value you place in others regardless of their past, their hurts or defiance. Thank you for teaching me to look others in the eyes — whether two-legged or four — and respond with the same love you’ve shown me.