By J. Merritt Johnston

We have two crazy little miniature dachshunds at our house named Aidan and Addie. Though they are the same breed, they could not be more opposite. Aidan is lanky, lean, and likes to lounge precariously on the back of our sofa. He's a loner, but when the thunderclouds and their claps roll in, he's quick to find my lap. Adelaide is short, stout, and likes to sit under my son's high chair to scoop up the stray Goldfish and Cheerios. She's good-natured and sweet-tempered, but when bedtime rolls around, she's quick to curl up alone in her kennel.

Much of their genetic make-up has to be the same, yet each is undeniably unique in personality and actions. As their caretaker, these two wiener dogs have certainly been interesting for me to watch. Perhaps the most striking detail of all is their capacity to know exactly what they need. While Aidan's aloof personality is often more like a cat than a dog, he wants to be held close when a storm is raging. While Addie generally loves to nudge my laptop out of the way so she can sit in my lap, she wants her own private sleeping sanctuary after 9 pm. They know themselves and their needs well, which is more than I can say for myself sometimes. I'm pretty awful at asking for help, even when I know exactly what I need. Can you relate?

So often we get caught up in a stereotype or an expectation that prevents us from seeking what we need. Men are typically taught not to cry, but sometimes we all need that emotional release. Women are typically taught to be nurturing, but sometimes we all need to be the one who is nurtured. Sometimes the man in your life just needs to be held, and sometimes the woman in your life just needs to be alone. Unfortunately, we're usually pretty bad at expressing those needs.

But thankfully, there is at least one person in our lives who knows exactly what we need even when we don't.

Psalm 139:1-4 (NIV) says, "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD."

God searches our thoughts, knows our schedules, and hears our words before we ever think to speak them. And in His wisdom, He is able to see through all of that to give us exactly what we need.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

We can go to Him with more than just our physical needs because He is the only One who is truly able to see and respond to our emotional needs. He can hold you when the storm's closing in, and He can give you a peaceful place to rest when the noise of life is too loud. You see, dogs may be man's metaphorical best friend, but there's One who is even better. Let's take a lesson from our lovable mutts and ask our Master to take us for a long walk today.

Merritt serves as the director of SAGE Girls Ministry, a non-profit organization whose mission is to reach, teach, and train young women to impact their communities and the world with the love of Christ. She makes her home in Brenham, TX, where she and her husband, Jeremy, are raising their rambunctious toddler named Josiah.