Love is like a St. Bernard.

Oh, Howie. How I love him. I couldn't imagine life without him.

And, oh, how he tests every patient part of my being.

He's big and fluffy.  The best pillow around.  This morning, as I had my head on his belly, he rested his giant of a head across my face, and though I could barely breathe, I loved.

And then, I walk downstairs.  And I see dog food all over the kitchen floor.  I sit down on the couch and cup my hot coffee only to realize I have rested my arm in a 2 inch long slobbery goo.  And let's not talk about how many times my vacuum cleaner has been broken by overuse.

But there is something about this gentle giant, that woos me in.  Just like love.

Sometimes it's messy, like muddy paws all over the couch and the clean kitchen floor.  Sometimes it's heavy, like a St. Bernard who thinks he's a lap dog.  Sometimes it's protective, like barking through the window while Ella takes her nap.  And sometimes it's astonishing, like finding a monster of a dog in our bed eating a bone from the butcher.  Blood and meat everywhere.  And I am the one who has to take our oh-so-expensive, King-sized, down comforter to the dry cleaners, trying to convince them that I did not murder anyone.

But, when it comes down to it, he makes me a better person.  Just like Love.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  --1 Cor. 13:4-9

He comforts the parts in me that are broken and in need of a hug.  You know that dogs have amazing healing power? He cuddles at just the right time.  He sits at attention waiting for his treat like the sweetest of army soldiers.  He makes me laugh as he scavenges under Ella's high chair eagerly awaiting a dropped blueberry. And then come his games. He scratches at the door for an hour to come inside, and everytime I get to the door and open it, he runs away (and smiles). He likes to play...and sometimes it tests my patience.  It highlights the parts in me that still need a little lovin'.  Just like the muddy paws and the slobber on the walls and the chunk of our budget labeled "lint rollers".


But it's a beautiful paradox, isn't it?  Kinda like marriage.  Kinda like parenting.  A lot like Love.

So, on this Valentine's Day, may you find the kind of Love that brings out your strengths, heals your heart, and leads your weaknesses to some lovin'.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(corresponding song: Who Loves You by Frankie Valli)