Pure Love as Shown Through a Dog

Over the last few months, I have watched a steady decline in one of my dogs. Recently, I learned that he has cancer. He went from being a thriving, energetic animal to one who now needs to be carried outside. I can see the pain in his body, and yet he does not openly show it. His focus is not on himself—it is on being near me.

His ears still perk up when he hears my voice. He lifts his head when he sees me walk into the room. He tries to get as close to me as possible. Even in weakness, he seeks me out. Even in suffering, he still desires to please me. His love has remained steady and pure.

He shows affection through gentle licks, soft pawing, and simply wanting to rest beside me. Through all of his trials, he has remained loving. Watching him has made me stop and ask myself a difficult question:

Why is it that we, as humans, often struggle to love others with that same kind of purity?

Jesus calls us to love one another, but do we truly love with a pure heart? Or has our love become conditional, distracted, or simply words without action?

As I reflected on this, I was reminded of the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. The final verse of the parable stood out deeply to me: “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” — Matthew 13:23

To love purely, we must first receive the seed of God’s Word. We must be willing to hear His message, understand it, and allow it to take root in our hearts. When that happens, fruit begins to grow in our lives. Love becomes more than words—it becomes action. It multiplies and pours into the lives of others.

It is through this process that true, pure love is revealed.

There is something deeply humbling about watching the love of a dog. They love openly and unapologetically. Even as my dog grows weaker, he still looks for ways to show affection. Even knowing that his earthly time is coming to an end, he still seeks closeness and comfort with the one he loves.

Soon, I will have to make the heartbreaking decision to let him go peacefully. Yet even in this painful season, he still trusts me. He still rests his head in my hands and allows me to comfort him.

When that moment comes, I want his last memory to be knowing he was loved deeply. I want him to feel my hand stroking his head as he peacefully falls asleep. And though tears will come, I will thank God for every moment I was blessed to have with him.

In the midst of grief, I am reminded once again that the purest love we will ever know comes from Jesus Christ. His love is unwavering, sacrificial, patient, and eternal. And perhaps one of the ways He teaches us about that love is through the quiet devotion of the animals He places in our lives.

Sometimes, even through a dying dog, God reminds us what pure love looks like.