My Dogs, Jack and Sophie, Meet a Big Dog

Today Jack and Sophie (my dogs) were visited by a very big dog, a beast that was at least four times the size of both of them put together.  Though they normally make a great deal of noise around the house, today, they were silent.  I suppose that this is because they were hiding and the big dog was lurking. 

My canines assumed that the visitor was an enemy.  He intended to take their food, their freedom, the love of their master, and possibly their lives.  Though he was actually a very nice and well-behaved creature, I do understand how they arrived at their conclusions.

First, the dog liked to play, and playing with a seventy-pound dog feels a great deal more hostile than playing with one that weighs ten.  Every touch feels like a powerful attack, even if it is well-intentioned.  And a mouth that is big enough to swallow whole dogs can never show its teeth playfully.  And when a big dog wants food, it assumes that the contents of all bowls are theirs for the taking.  It might just be energy and hunger, but to a small dog, every act of a much larger enemy feels like malicious intent.

This picture reminds us that we ought not to judge others by their appearance, and I could very easily conclude this post by saying that other people might mean well towards us, even when it doesn't look like us.  But there was something else that I noticed today which lead me to a conclusion that might be more important concerning God.

In the process of the day, I spent much of my time steering the "enemy" away from Jack and Sophie.  I did this with the disbursing of pats on the head and treats, and the calling of the other dog's name.  It was a course of activity that kept me very busy.  But I was busy with the big dog, and I had to wonder if Jack and Sophie were feeling neglected, even wondering if I liked the "intruder" better than I liked them.  I wonder if they felt betrayed.

While I seriously doubt that all of these thoughts were processed logically, I am sure that they felt slighted and neglected, and really did wonder why I was not able to give them the attention that I normally would have.  In essence (in a dog's way), I think they might have been judging my actions as much as they were judging the other dog.  In doing so, however, I am pretty sure that they never once stopped to consider that I was paying more attention to the big dog than I was to them because I was trying to keep them safe from the real danger--which was only the uncontrolled size of the guest.

When I think of God and how He sometimes seems to pay more attention to other people than to me, I wonder if I judge His motives as simply as my dogs might have been doing.  I sometimes see His actions in other people's lives as an indication that He loves them more than He loves me.  What I have never considered, until today, is that He might be concerned with what is going on with others in order to keep them from being a danger to me.  He might be blessing or disciplining someone, just to keep them away from me.

I realize this is an abstract thought.  I can't prove it, but in some instances I can see that it makes a great deal of sense when I really think about it.  It does with Jack and Sophie.  If you know me, you know that I love my dogs and will do whatever it takes to keep a big dog from harming them, even if that harm takes place accidentally.

What is not an abstract thought, however, is that we do tend to judge God's actions toward us and others with a view that lacks knowledge and insight.  What God does with His children (and with dogs, maybe) is try to protect them with whatever means is necessary.  He will always love me, and every action that He takes will be consistent with that love.  If I keep that in mind, I will scarcely be able to imagine that He is giving others preferential treatment.

Keep in mind, that when it comes to the love of God, there are no big dogs or little dogs.  There are no big children or little children.  With the love of God, it is one size for all.  Big.

My Dog Jack: The Joy of a Tummy Rub

I frequently get out of the shower and step into my bedroom to find my dog, Jack, waiting patiently for my arrival.  Usually he is on the bed, laying on his side with his his head down.  When he sees me, his response is to wag his stub of a tail rapidly up and down against the mattress.  He is a Jack Russell/Poodle mix which has resulted in wire-like fur and long, dangly legs.  He won't win trophies for having a handsome frame, but he always wins my heart with his soft eyes that lock with mine and demand affection.

I can't help myself.  I always have to sit beside Jack for a few minutes and rub his stomach.  I also scratch behind his ears and under his chin.  He always sighs with gratitude when I do this, and when I look into his eyes, I know that they are saying, "This is the best part of my day."

My dog, Jack, keeps busy around the house.  He has nowhere to go, but he is always moving in and out through the back door anyway.  And he has many balls and toys which he constantly drops for me to throw or wrestle him for.  Jack also spends alot of time teasing his sister dog, Sophie.  And he always has to be on watch to beg or to clean up any scraps that might be dropped on the kitchen floor while a meal is being cooked.  Yes, Jack's life is filled with wonderful events: but the appreciation he exhibits every time he gets a tummy rub and ear "scritches," makes it clear to me that those are the times when he is happiest.  Those are the moments that make his joy complete.

Of course, I see God in this.  I have a great life with many wonderful blessings, but none of them make me quite as happy as those times when God sits beside me and "rubs my tummy."  I like the ear "scritches," quite alot, too.  If you have ever waited for God and He came, taking the time to share gentle affection, you know that there is no other experience that produces such satisfaction.

But there is something else that we ought to consider: when I rub Jack's tummy and see how happy it makes him, I find that I, too, become happy.  The more joy that Jack receives, the more appreciation he exhibits towards me.  And when this happens, my joy increases to a point where it might even be greater than Jack's.

This picture shows us what most of us have experienced at some time in our life, and that is the old axiom that "giving is better than receiving."  But what I want to focus on today is not our giving (we always have opportunity to do that); rather, I want to focus on the joy that God experiences when He has the opportunity to share His affection with us.

The question, however, is this: do we ever sit and wait for God to come into the room?  If we are not there upon His arrival, how will He ever be able to give and receive the satisfaction that comes from sharing His divine affection with us? 

The thing is, you can give God unspeakable joy today.  And to make that happen, all that you have to do is let Him touch your life with his unspeakable joy.  

It's a pretty good trade.