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.