Clay Walker and The Dog Mahal

There are certain people you meet in life who leave you encouraged simply by the way they love God, people, and even their animals. In May, JW and I had the blessing of spending time with country music artist Clay Walker, and it was such a joy to visit with him. I was excited to give Clay a copy of my children’s book, Adam, Eve and the First Dog, because I had heard through the years how much he loves the Lord and his dogs. During our fellowship together, Clay shared sweet stories about life on his ranch, his lovely wife and his beloved border collies. At one time, he had eight working border collies helping on the ranch. Today, he still has four, including a precious 16-year-old female dog named, Katja, who has faithfully been by his side through the years. Clay smiled as he shared how his wife became concerned that their older dogs were slowing down and shouldn’t have to continue living in the barn during this season of life. So, she convinced Clay to build a special doghouse just for older dogs. Clay laughed and said, “ It's the ‘Dog Mahal,’ one of the most beautiful places on the ranch. I feel like I should move in there myself!” It was such a simple but meaningful reminder of the unconditional love and loyalty dogs bring into our lives, and how, in many ways, they reflect God’s faithful love toward us.Thank you, Clay, for sharing your stories, your kindness, and your heart for animals and faith. It was truly a memorable evening.