This is our dear little dog, Gracie...part poodle and part Italian Greyhound. She has been teaching me some life lessons lately. I love how God takes everyday things, and teaches us about ourselves and Himself.
Gracie was a little rescue dog...she was found abandoned on the streets of Chicago by a P.A.W.S. Dog Rescue organization. She was so neglected. Her hair was long and so matted she couldn't turn her neck, nor could she see very well. We found her on their internet site and went to visit her the next day. Even after a trim and bath she looked pretty bad, until she got a real grooming!
She's now been a part of our family for nearly 4 years. And I'm her Mama. She's bonded herself to me, especially.
Her heart and eyes are always on me. When I get up and leave the room, her eyes open and she watches me. If I'm gone for more than a moment, she'll probably pick herself up from her cozy napping spot and come to be where I am. If I leave the house, she waits by a window and watches for my return. If I lay on the sofa, she wants to join me for a snuggle.
And that has made me think about something...this is how I need to be with my Lord and Savior, Jesus. My eye needs to be on Him. My mind, on Him. I need to be watching for where He is at work, and join Him. I need to listen and watch for what He is doing, and follow Him.
Gracie has a little sin nature...or more accurately, she was abused in her former life. So she is suspicious, nervous, and easily feels threatened. Therefore, even though I would NEVER hurt her on purpose and mine are the hands that feed her, pet her, take care of her, and love her, she doesn't even completely trust me. And if she feels threatened by a sudden movement or me trying to remove a tangle in her hair, she'll snarl at me. Me! The one upon whom her very well-being is dependent. The one who rescued her from abandonment and has given her such a great home!
And so, I also sometimes snarl at my Father. I trust God completely with my mind. I absolutely believe and know that He is GOD and He is all-wise and loves me and my loved ones more than anyone else does. But in practice, I get fearful, feel threatened, and sometimes don't act like a grace-filled child of God. I trust Him completely with my eternity. But with some of the storms of life, I get fearful. Like my dog.
As I notice Gracie's devotion to me and to being in my presence, I am going to remind myself to long for God's presence in my hour-by-hour day. To stay close to Him. To talk to Him all throughout the day. And listen to Him through His Spirit and the Bible. Obeying what He wants me to do and focus on each day.
And when I get frustrated that Gracie sometimes doesn't trust me completely and doesn't yield to my ministrations, even though I have ONLY her best in mind, I shall remember that I need to trust my Father and what He allows. Completely.
