Insight from the Dogs

October 29, 2006
I want to share something that God has been teaching me this past week, both from Scripture and from one of the dogs at my house. I am not actually all that fond of dogs unless they are small and very clean. Well, I was sitting on the back porch trying to journal and prepare for a Bible Study for next week and the older dog, Duerca, came, put her front paws up on my chair, and with imploring eyes begged me to give her some attention. I finally looked at her and because of the look in her eyes, petted her a while. That “while” ended the moment I got a whiff of her breath. Uugh!! I remembered why I do not like dogs (that and getting my clothes dirty because of their dirty paws). Well, Duerca was not going to give up and she kept going back and forth from one side of the chair to the other, hoping that the other side might bring more success. Finally she wandered off and left me in peace. It was only a couple of minutes later though that she was back and begging. This time she only tried once and when I did not give her attention she left for good.
What does all of this mean? Well, I was challenged when I realized how much God wants my attention and my love. He is waiting for me to respond to His love and engage more fully with Him. What about the stinky breath and dirty paws? There is nothing ugly about God but there is pain and a price that comes with loving Him. I will be hurt and rejected at times by other people. I will have to step into challenging situations. I may experience loneliness and persecution as I follow His love and His call. When I ignore God’s beckoning call to love Him more and to listen to Him, that voice gets quieter and quieter just as Duerca did not try as long the second time to get my attention. God is still there waiting and beckoning, but I cannot hear Him.
I began to realize once again that God is reminding me that I need to be filled with His love and compassion. As I was reading Acts 3 the next day, I was impressed with how Peter and John looked “straight at” the beggar. Most people probably turned their eyes as they walked by, even if they did give him money. That is my tendency when I see a beggar. When you look straight at someone, you can see their pain and are more compelled to react. God is calling me to risk loving the unlovable and to be filled with compassion.