He is a family dog, and I get to spend some time with him. His name is Bear . He likes me because I give him treats, show him singular affection, and tell him what good boy he is. Since there are seven dogs on the farm, competition for food, treats and affection is fierce. I am training him to sit and stay and to not knock me over, not steal my lunch, and, oh yes, stay off the furniture.
You may say that’s nice, but what does that have to do about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Well allow me to explain…
Right after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, all my senses, and especially my spiritual eyes, were opened. I saw God in so many things in so many ways I never did before. In relationships, the earth, the seasons, events, and on and on. I could not only see the “God dots” but I started to connect them. One of the most important eye openers was my being able to now see the many similarities of my relationship with the Father as compared to my relationship with my own children. That deserves its own post. But the point is, I now had eyes to see and ears to hear as they say, as Jesus said. So back to the dog relationship and God….
The thing that I like best about loving Bear is just spending time with him. We hang together. He walks with me and he runs beside my truck and our ATV .
I was sick recently and he stayed with me the whole time just laying around and he was good with that. Someone how it just made “bearing”(sorry for the pun, could not resist) up against the sickness a little easier. But feeling alone is an amazing thing to avoid and when you are sick its great to have friends, but truthfully, even strangers will do at times like these. And Bear great to extent his paw and stay with me.
Bear is a puppy now and is a golden retriever. He has a great personality, is loyal, friendly, playful, but I am noticing something lately . When he greats me he goes right to my hands first seeing if there is any food . In dog ownership terms he is “foodie”. Food first, petting and appreciation and love follows in that order . I, on the other hand, seek his friendship and love first… like are you happy to see me because it’s me? I’ve had a long hard day, and I’ve looked forward to your being happy to see me. I know he loves me, but he is, to be fair, after all an animal. So to his food first, love second, I have applied grace. And let me say also, he lives to be petted too, and he would let me scratch and comb his coat all day if I had the time. I just cannot get passed the fact that he is so insistent on seeing what is in my hands first, and everything else comes after that.
Bear lives with 6 other dogs and four much larger dogs and older and they have a pecking order . They rule, they eat first, they growl and fight to let that order be known. Bear eats about fifth in line and then he fights for that with his two younger female mates. He has to have food, I get it. I just hope one day when he doesn’t have that circumstance, when he is perhaps the only puppy with a master or family, he will not be so anxious about getting fed, and focus more on loving them, knowing they will certainly feed him in their time, and fed well at that. When he is their only focus, they would certainly not fail to care for his every need. And in fact their whole attention and love will be his, without competition and without a doubt.
Why am I telling you all this?
My relationship with Jesus , the Father , and the Holy Spirit has many similarities if I look at it closely, and if I have eyes to see, and an open heart. To God, I am the dog, and I am happy to have him to serve and to care for my needs. I am loving that he loves me . I am eternally grateful that he is my Lord and master, and that he doesn’t Lord that over me without love, and always with love. Our bond is eternally secure. I am with him now and he is with me, now and for all eternity .
But when I greet him, I have to ask myself, do I run to see what is in his hands first, or do I seek Him to just be with him no matter how hungry I am at the moment or what my needs are? Do I ask for food and provisions first and love second. Am I anxious for anything when I fellowship with Him and his Holy Spirit? When I come home from a long day at work, do I run to meet Him “tagging my wale” and jumping for joy. Is He happy to see me and I Him? Is our fellowship the highlight of my day, and His? Does He have to tell me ok ok, down, down yes I love you, now down boy down. Is my joy that great to just be with Him? Does my enthusiasm match that of even my simply loving puppy child dog?
I have to share a short story about enthusiasm, and how it reveals our passions, and our depth of caring and appreciation, about all things, and especially our relationship with the Father. I coached a high school baseball team, and did so for many years. This year, the group lacked inspiration and enthusiasm. I had a Labrador Retriever at that time named Nala. She loved to play ball, and chase it, and get it no matter where or when. So I brought her to baseball practice one day. All the boys stood on the infield as I introduced her to them. She sat there staring at me and the ball in my hand, knowing what was coming, but the boys didn’t. She wagged her tail, started jumping around, begging me to let her chase the ball. I explained all this to the boys, how her enthusiasm was limitless, endless, because she loved to chase and retrieve the ball. The boys thought I might toss it a ways, a have her get it. But I took my fungo (baseball bat for fly balls) and hit a ball to the outfield fence. She took off at a full gallop, and did not stop that fast pace until she gathered the ball at the fence, and ran back just as fast she she left us. Out of breath, moisture dripping from her tongue, looking like she would keel over from the effort, she dropped the ball at my feet wanting more. I told the boys, if they had even a small amount of her enthusiasm , win or loose, we would always play our best, and that is all God is asking for, our very best, and to be enthusiastic about Knowing Him and being His child playing on His team! After all, what greater coach could anyone have! And then Nala promptly took a time out and urinated on the infield grass, and the boys not only got the point, but had a good laugh also. That was a memory and lesson none of them will ever forget.
So am I, are you, enthusiastic about being His child? Do I know I have His full undivided attention to care for my every need? Do I fully expect Him to do that? Do I know He loves it the most when I just want to spend time with Him? Do I know that He enjoys our time together more when I first seek His heart and not what is in His hands? Do I sit by the door, and watch, a never takes my eyes off that door, knowing He will be home soon, and know that I would run to meet Him if I saw Him coming from far away. I mean run at a full out, fastest pace, a gallop faster than I have run before for no other reason than because it’s Him. Am I always happy to see Him even when I have fallen to a weakness and been on the furniture, or because I was left inside for too long and sadly, ashamedly, crapped the floor. Knowing I will be disciplined, but also knowing I will be forgiven. For He is a just God and a loving Father as well. Do I have happy thoughts of Him even when I feel far away. When I am with Him I never feel alone, even when I am sick, and feel lonely or sad. He somehow cheers me up gives me hope and loves me even when I don’t love myself or want to be loved.
I could go on and on about Bear and how strangely similar our relationship is to my relationship with God. But you get the points by now. Do you own a dog? Do you see the resemblance where things are strangely similar? Or am I, for you, talking wonky, reaching for a sermon or post that just isn’t there?
Are you the dog? The one who seeks God’s hands before his face, and his provisions before his presence and his love ? Do you not know He is always mindful of you, always cares for your needs and provides , never wants you to feel alone because you are not, and loves you even when you don’t love yourself or others. He forgives you if you get down from the furniture and promise never to do it again. If you crap in the house, He not only forgives you but cleans up your messes willingly, immediately, completely. He feeds you yes, but He loves you more than food or even life itself. And even if you get those priorities out of order, He sets them in order again. For He is the creator of all things , the master of all, lord of all, and the provider of all you ever need. Trust in Him and know the most and in fact all He wants from you is just for you to come apart from the world and spend time with Him. He wants you to trust Him with your time, give Him your full and complete focus and attention, and He will open your eyes to see that He is already and constantly caring for you in ways you just didn’t notice or see. And most of all you will see clearly and certainly that not just now, but for the rest of your life on earth, and for all eternity, He will care for you and be with you.
Its ok to be a either a dog or human, when God is your master.
