A Mother’s Day Heart-to-Heart with Paddy By: Pastor Jim Allen, Trinity Evangelical Church

A Mother’s Day Heart-to-The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when I heard the familiar thump-thump-thump of four furry paws making their way down the stairs. Paddy, my seventeen-month-old Golden Doodle, trotted into the kitchen with a look of deep contemplation that usually precedes a request for an extra bacon strip.

“Where’s my Mom, Dad?” Paddy asked, his tail giving a tentative wag.

“She’s right there, Paddy,” I said, nodding toward Miss Carol. “She’s busy cooking our breakfast.”

Paddy huffed, a sound like a small bellows. “No, I know Grandma as Mom is here. But where is my Doodle Mom?”

I realized then that Paddy wasn’t just asking about a pedigree; he was searching for his background, his identity, and the circumstances that made him “Paddy.”

“Well, it’s a little early for Mother’s Day,” I told him, “but I have a surprise for you.”

I reached over and showed him a framed picture of his biological mother. “I framed this so you can look at her every time you want to know where you came from. See there, Paddy? You are the spittin’ image of your Mom.”

I pointed to another photo in the frame. “And here is a picture of you as a tiny puppy. She is allowing you to stay in the bed, and she is watching you dotingly from the outside. She was your first protector.”

Paddy stared at the photos for a long moment, then looked up at me. “Dad, where is your Mom?”

“My Mom is in heaven with Jesus, Paddy,” I replied quietly.

He turned his soulful eyes to Carol. “Grandma, where is your Mom?”

“My Mom is also in heaven with Jesus,” she said softly.

Paddy tilted his head. “How do you know?”

Carol knelt down on the kitchen floor, getting right at eye level with him. “First, Paddy, I want you to know I will always be your Mom and your Grandmom. We called me ‘Grandmom’ because that’s what the grandkids said, and we didn’t want you confused when you were a puppy. But as for my Mom, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, and the Bible promises she now lives forever with Him.”

I chimed in, “And my Mom did the same thing when she was a little girl, Paddy. She realized that she, like all of us, was a sinner in need of a Savior. That is the situation for all of us. We all need that Shepherd to lead us home.”

The Heart of Motherhood

Dad went on to explain… “Mother’s Day is a celebration of a bond that transcends biology. While we honor those who gave us life, we also honor the “mothers in spirit”—women who fulfill the functional role of a mother through nurturing, teaching, and unconditional love, even if they have no biological children of their own.

The Scriptures remind us of the weight and beauty of this calling:

• Proverbs 31:28-30: “Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her... a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.”

• Isaiah 66:13: “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.”

• 2 Timothy 1:5: “Having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you; which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice...”

Paddy and the “Elect”

Apparently, Paddy had been spending quite a bit of time near my study lately, and it turns out he’s been “reading” over my shoulder. He looked at us both, his ears drooping slightly.

“I’ve been worried,” he confessed. “I want to be part of the ‘elect.’ I want to be with you, and Grandmom, and my real Mom forever. But what if I’m not chosen?”

I saw what was going on. Paddy had bumped into some heavy-duty theology.

“I see,” I said, sitting down with him. “You’re worried about election. Unfortunately, a lot of teachers mistakenly teach election as the same as salvation. In my view, I believe the Bible teaches the two are separate. At the cross, God made ALL part of the elect. He’s gathered the whole flock. We see this in the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.’“

I leaned in closer. “Paddy, notice it says He loved the world—the Greek word is kosmos (Greek: κόσμος, KOHZ-mohs). That includes all of creation. John 3:17 follows up by saying God didn’t send His Son to condemn the world, but to save it! The only ones who stand condemned, according to John 3:18, are those who choose NOT to believe. For whatever reasons, they have chosen to turn the doorknob to hell when they could have remained in the elect. They stay in the ‘condemned’ lane because they haven’t trusted in Jesus. But the door is wide open for everyone else, who believes.”

I patted his head. “As C.S. Lewis famously wrote, ‘The door of Hell is locked on the inside.’ We don’t have to stay there! God’s love is always open; we just have to be willing to walk through. Jesus tells us, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if ANYONE hears my voice…”

A New Creation for All

Paddy looked a bit more relieved. “But Dad, what about my Doodle Mom? Does the Bible say anything about making things right for everyone?”

“It sure does,” I said. “In Revelation 21:5, God says, ‘Behold, I am making ALL THINGS NEW.’ Not just some things, Paddy—all things. That means the ‘bondage of decay’ we see now will be gone (Romans 8:21). Even the prophets saw a day when the wolf and the lamb would dwell together (Isaiah 11:6). If God preserves both man and animal (Psalm 36:6), we can trust Him with the ones we love.”

Security and Comfort

Later that night, after the dishes were put away and the house grew quiet, I decided Paddy needed a little extra reassurance. I popped a bowl of popcorn with just a tiny bit set aside for him and turned on his favorite movie, All Dogs Go to Heaven.

As the flickering light of the television filled the room, Paddy didn’t stay on his rug. Instead, he climbed up on the couch and leaned his heavy, warm frame right against my leg, finding that perfect spot between the cushions and his family.

In that moment, the theological questions about identity and election seemed to fade away. There was no more worry in his eyes, only the quiet peace of belonging. As he crunched on a piece of popcorn, he let out a long, contented sigh, leaning into the security and comfort of home. It was the perfect end to a day spent reflecting on the women who shape our lives, whether they are with us in the room or watching over us from the eternal ekklesia (Greek: εκκλησία, eh-klay-SEE-ah).

Even a Golden Doodle knows when he’s right where he belongs.

Pastor Jim Allen is the shepherd of Trinity Evangelical Church in Mount Vernon. If you would like to know more about Jesus Pastor Jim is always available to share. Pastor also invites you to come and check us out each Sunday for worship at 10:10 AM. Starting on Sunday May 24th through the last Sunday of September we will be having Church on the River each Sunday at Riverbend Park at 8am. Everyone is welcome, including your dogs, cats and even your in-laws!