Old Dog, New Tricks

Meet Bugsy.

He is a beast of a black lab and is the youngest of our children.  Although he belongs to my ten year old son, he is my baby.  He sheds like its spring all year round and throws all 95lbs of himself on top of me in thunderstorms but I still love him.  We are a busy family, though, and don't spend as much time with him as he would like.  This summer, my ten year old (Bugsy's best friend) got a new raised bed.  The dog could no longer sleep with him every night and he has been upset with us ever since.

This very morning, I walked around outside in his kennel picking up game pieces, a bag of cheese, my son's toothbrush and toothpaste, and my husband's hunting boots that he had drug outside.  Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.  Such disobedience leaves me extremely frustrated.  I have no idea when the transgressions happened but you cannot tell me that my dog did not know what he did was wrong.  The moment I walked outside, he lowered his head in remorse.  When I came inside, I walked past him in an attempt to gather my wits about me and get ready for work.  He very slowly, with his tail between his legs followed right behind me.  I was surprised, he knew I was not happy with him and yet all he wanted to do was to be with me.

This made me think of David.  In Acts 13:22, David was called "a man after God's own heart".  I've heard people struggle with this description as David was hopelessly flawed.  How can a man with such heinous acts as murder and adultery in his list of sins be a man after God's own heart.  I believe it has to do with the fact that after he had made terrible choices, he had true repentance and such a strong desire to be with His Savior.

Hmm...now enter my own relationship with Jesus.  What is the condition of my heart after I have made poor choices?  My first reaction is typically pride and justification, quickly followed by fear of the consequences, and eventually, especially after my sin is no longer in question, I want to crawl in a hole and hide.  I can assure you my first thought is not to go spend more time with the person I've just offended!

Instead, no matter what I've done, instead of my self-righteous, self-preservation, or even self-conscious reaction, I should tuck my tail between my legs, lower my head in true remorse and spend time with my Savior.  The best part is that he has endless amounts of time to lavish his love and grace on me.  Now that is a real treat!