At church on Sabbath I told the children’s story. To be honest I was not prepared to do so but seeing RuthAnn oversees getting someone to share each week, we are sometimes left with the idea that either her or I will do it, if no one else can be found. That was the circumstance this week, again.
When Thursday rolled around, and the bulletin needed to be printed, it was obvious that I needed to volunteer, which I did. But now what story was I going to tell? When I went to bed Thursday night I did not have a clue but did pray about it before I shut my eyes. And as happens so often, when I got up in the morning I knew what my story would center on. That is the way the Holy Spirit works with and through me and I am blessed by it, go to bed clueless and get up inspired. This time I knew the story would center around my childhood dog, Specks.
He was an unbelievable dog. I am not sure what year he came into our home, but I was pretty young. I guess my Dad picked him up at the pound, like so many before him, but I do not remember that either. What I do know is that he was a Springer Spaniel mix and was smart as a whip. Also, that we became best friends.
It wasn’t so much on my part. I think I was a pretty lousy friend. Always off to school or basketball or out playing with my human friends. But it was him. He was loyal, faithful, and full of love. Patiently waiting for me to get home from school or my other activities, then he would be there to be my best friend. Ready to play. Ready to listen. Ready to be there when I was sad or happy. In his eyes there was nothing I could do that would stop him from loving me.
And intending no blaspheme, that is the exact way I see our Savior, Jesus Christ. I sometimes think that God brought pets in our lives to show us what real love looks like. The problem is that we take their love for granted the same way I think we take Christ’s love for us. In some way believing that we deserve His love and do not have to return it.
There is no doubt that God loves us in spite of our reaction to Him or His Son Jesus: “God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) But can we ever have a true relationship with Him unless we recognize what He has done to save us and how much He loves us? I know the answer to that one and it is a definite, n-o!
The strange thing is that if we loved as our loyal dogs do we would find ourselves exactly where Jesus wants us to be. Here is what I mean. Jesus said this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31) Do you see it! Complete faithful, loyal love! Without any strings attached. That is how your dog loves you. That is how my dog Specks loved me. A single-minded love.
But our problem is we cannot seem to commit to it. The book of James puts it like this in the New Living Translation: “Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” (James 1:8) Other translations say we are “double-minded” Our faithfulness, our loyalty is divided, and the results are we cannot love God as He asks and do not love our neighbor as Jesus did.
So, the question is how do we become more like our faithful dogs? I bet you never thought of asking yourself that question! But the answer is essential, and it comes in one word, surrender. Every faithful being, be it angel, man or beast must be able to submit his or her will to their master. In my case to God. It is the hardest lesson I have had to learn as a follower of Jesus. I must be willing as He was; to submit all as He did on the cross. I need to heed the Savior’s words: “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) Faithful, loyal, following my master wherever he leads.
My Sabbath story was not as complete as this blog, but I hope the kids got the idea. I showed a few pictures of Specks and me. I thought I would post one with this as a reminder of what a good and loyal servant looks like. May we all become that to the Lord today.
Blessings John
2/26/18
