Liker or Lover?

In the time I recently spent with my brother, Michael, we had conversations on many topics. Several included my pups, Nikos and Pan Dulce. As you know, they live in the house like family. This caused Michael to shake his head more than once and make ‘that face’.

Michael thinks dogs should live outside, be there when you want to interact and stay out of your way when you don’t. Nikos and Pan Dulce sleep in my bed. My first steps out of bed are to take care of my pups needs to go outside to potty and my last steps in the evening is shutting up the doggy door before going to bed. Michael shakes his head.

In one of our conversations he kept saying he just didn’t ‘get it’…his daughters do and he sees that but it just doesn’t make sense to him. I told him that was because he was a Dog Liker, not a Dog Lover. Dog Likers can love their dogs and Dog Lovers like theirs, but there is a special connection between man and beast if you are a Dog Lover. He said they aren’t family; he was. I said, “Yes, and tomorrow you will leave to go home, they will still be here. They play a large role in my life, you pop in and out.”

This morning, I looked over at them asleep on the couch as I work. They will lay there until I get up to get more coffee, they will watch my every move and follow me from room to room to see what I am up to. At first opportunity they will crawl up in my lap and love on me, I will love on them back. My decisions involve them; where I could live, arrangements for them when I make a trip, food and vet trips. Just like having children. When I leave the house, they will be on the back porch watching me drive away and they will right there waiting when I get back home, happy to see me. They aren’t just in my life; they are a part of my life. I need them as much as they need me.

It occurred to me that some people treat their relationship with God as if they were God Likers. They call out to God when they need Him but pretty much leave Him out of things when they don’t. They may toss out a few prayers here and there, as if it were dog food, to keep the relationship alive when they feel desperate and expect God to be their watch dog in times of trouble.

God Lovers start their day with God and end it the same way. My relationship with God is not something akin to a watch dog over me but an integral part of who I am, why I can get up and want to start my day serving that relationship. It’s not out of obligation but out of love. I need God in every area of my life, from room to room, season to season, and into eternity. It is His lap in which I climb to love on Him and to feel the comfort of His arms.

I couldn’t survive without the love of Jesus anymore than my pups could if left to their own devices. The biggest difference is I have been on my own, trying to live life my way and I know the hardships and pain there. My pups have never known anything but a loving home. I am able to give them so much love because I know what it is to live without it. I am a Dog Lover and I am God Lover…..I’d have it no other way! Liker or Lover, something to think about.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Isaiah 11:6 - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

This past week we had our grandson, Braden, stayed a couple of days to visit. It was delightful to have him here. He’s an observant, deep kid in spite of his total pesky boy times. Can you hear the chorus of “Boys will be boys”? I can. During that time, I tried to look at my world through his eyes because he found wonder in the things I took for granted.

He commented one evening that we were good parents to our dogs. I had trained our little Chihuahuas, Nikos and Pan Dulce, to use the puppy stairs to get on the couch. All I have to say is ‘stairs’ and they go around to them and walk up. Braden thought that was awesome.

We keep a blanket or sheet folded up on one end of the chaise part of our sectional couch for another of our dogs, Chelsie. She has long beautiful blond hair and our couch is dark denim blue…We allow Chelsie on the couch, too, but she knows the command ‘blanket’ and stays there for the most part. She gets sneaky and tries to inch her way to any people sitting on the couch but goes back with a reminder command. She’s not exactly lap dog size, though she thinks she is.

None of the dogs are allowed up on the couch unless they are invited. This lesson has been the hardest for Nina, the youngest and rather impulsive ChiWeenie, our Chihuahua/Dachshund mix. She can spring up like a gazelle and takes every opportunity to do so, right into anyone’s lap to kiss their face all over. To maintain any semblance of order in a four dog house, boundaries have to be set.

When I started writing this I was frustrated by our dogs barking in the back. Any little wild rabbit or feral cat that crosses through our back yard sets them off and they bark. I was telling myself, “Dogs will be dogs and they think they are protecting our home.” I know that to be true, but it was irritating anyway.

Back to their boundaries, we have our back porch and their potty run fenced in so they cannot just run about the neighborhood. It is neighborhood policy to keep dogs penned, though not everyone complies, but our concern is also for the small ones. They would be a tasty treat for a coyote or hawk. And they are just too cute not to tempt an unscrupulous person to claim them as their own. We have a friend in the village that does not pen their dogs and have lost several over the years to cars, snake bites and even other dogs. So, fence it is. They have a doggy door and can come & go into the house as they choose. Even within the flexibility of that they have boundaries. When we need to keep them contained, like when I’m cooking dinner, we put a baby gate in the doorway between the kitchen and utility room. They are in out of the elements but not under my feet as I cook. They have automatic feeder & water bowls available to them at all times in the utility room that has blankets covering the hard floor for their comfort. It’s a pretty cushy life, all in all.

I said all that to say this, seeing it through Braden’s eyes gave me a new perspective. Even as a child, he saw the love and care we had for our pets and commented on it. He knew the rules and boundaries we kept for them and still called us good parents. Each of the four dogs has their own personality and quirks and tries to push the boundaries when they think they can but thrive in our home under those boundaries. Are we any different from them when it comes to living within the boundaries of a Christian faith walk?

 
Our loving Father set boundaries for us to ensure our eternal safety and well being. Some ‘bark’ about it, calling it restrictive and confining. People will be people, after all. Others, like Nina, are repeatedly rebuked when they ignore the lessons. Some, just as Chelsie, think they can sneak slowly into disobedience and no one will notice. We’ve all seen those people that think their ‘cuteness’ will buy them favor and parental attention, this is Pan Dulce’s ploy. Last but not least, we have those, like Nikos, that hold fast to their leadership positions believing they are exempt from time to time. Still, our Father loves us unconditionally and leaves the boundaries in place because He does. He’s a good people parent, an example to follow.

Feral Hearts

One of my morning habits is to feed the feral cats after posting the blog and the sun is up enough to see. If I continue to work after first light, I can see two or three of them sitting on the porch swing staring in the hall window across from my office. Their intent glare seems to ask why I am in here when their food is out there. Feral cats are not the friendliest cats but at this point they have become comfortably tolerant of us and do not scatter with the wind every time we step out the front door anymore. They do still get uncomfortable with too much attention from us or someone new being around.

Mornings are a different story altogether. Just turning the lock on the front door brings the sound of thuds as those on the swing jump down and you hear the thundering of velvety paws dashing to the door. The glass storm door becomes a tall picture frame of feline faces and paws as they stand up against it in anticipation. The huddled mass of whiskers and paws makes getting out the door difficult with seven sets of four legs and tails winding between your legs. Once the food is in their bowl, they could not care about you less!

Yesterday, I had another holy tap on the shoulder as I looked at them through the storm door. There they were, lined up shoulder to shoulder impatient for their meal, couldn’t get there fast enough for them yet as soon as their demands were met, they turned their backs on me – other than the occasional sideways glance to make sure I wasn’t getting too close. 

Here’s where the holy tap came in. Too many of us are just like those feral cats when it comes to our impatient demands from God. Oh, we line up to kneel with bowed heads when we have a hunger we want quenched, a need filled, or a prayer answered but the moment we are satisfied we go back to status quo and get about our business until the next time we feel the equivalent of a grumbling stomach and line up all over again. Many even keep that wary eye on God, making sure He doesn’t get too close in our business. We are no better than wild feral animals tolerating our benefactor when it suits us and keeping a safe distance when it isn’t urgent.

Just like we continue to feed the cats because we just cannot bear to see them hungry, God continues to meet our needs. He knows us and our ways far better than we know the habits of those cats. We named them for conversation sake but God knew our names before He created us in our mother’s wombs. It always tickles us to see them standing against the glass door, faces uplifted and watching for us. I imagine God likes the sight of His children waiting to be with Him, too. It makes my heart sad to think of the times I waited for my provisions and turned back to my feral ways.

 
Father, forgive us. We desire to meet with you each morning in adoration and an attitude of gratitude. Weed out the feral, natural instincts in us so that we may have a closer, loving relationship with You. Take us outside our comfort zone and draw us nearer to You. Amen

Peace of God

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I’ve always loved that scripture. It has given peace to my heart when I needed it…or perhaps reminded me that the peace of God is mine for the asking.

There were times my mind and thoughts were too literal though. I decided that my want, need or request is just too petty to take before God. Why bother Him with my petty stuff when there is so much of consequence going on? See? Too literal. Then I had a revelation. It’s not so much that I need to knock every time my anxiety switch is flipped but the assurance of His concern and care is always there, I can tap into the stockpile of knowledge of Him for all the peace I need. That was mother lode of peace in and of itself!

It’s funny to me the things that make me anxious these days. Not funny in a haha way, but you know what I mean. For instance, so many people are caught up in the goings on around the world and they are consumed with thoughts of gloom and doom. Not me, I can totally walk away from that knowing God is in control of my fate regardless of worldly craziness. My dogs’ barking, however, is a daily source of anxiety for me. Since we release the hounds around 5ish in the AM, they get an early start on protecting our hacienda from wild rabbits, feral cats and wandering canines…sadly, they believe barking is required to do so. As a writer working from my home in the country, I can tell you, there is no short supply of either wild rabbits, feral cats or wandering canines. Makes – me – crazy – every - day! There is nothing as irritating as being in the verge of writing a great literary passage (it’s ok to laugh here, I did) when the hounds start to bay at a distant siren or bark at a cottontail munching its way across the backyard. The rabbits know the dogs can’t get to them so they are not disturbed by the barking. If anything, they taunt the dogs by moving ever closer to the fence surrounding the dog run. This inspires more barking. More barking = more anxiety for me. Just so you know…there is no scripture I have found to-date that addresses barking dogs.

Therefore, scriptures like the one above come to mind and I lean on the peace I may not be feeling at the time but know is there for me. I love my God, my hounds and the unconditional love I get from both. I’m pretty sure God gave us dogs as a physical manifestation of His love we can hold in our laps and cuddle. Now THAT’s peaceful…

Call of the Wild

In the darkness of early morning coupled with my hilltop advantage, I hear the howl of coyote pups. This is a common experience living here. Early mornings and late evening the pups howl. We assume it is when their mothers must leave them for hunting. It is mournful all of the time and panicked some of the time. This particular morning they sounded more mournfully distressed. I was not alone in my interpretation, I believe, because a number of our village dogs joined in their sad song. Stunned by the uncharacteristic silence of our hounds, this moment of camaraderie between the babes of coyotes and village canines felt poignant.

It occurred to me our village dogs were responding to the call of the wild, genetic instinct raising above their domesticated history. Primitive blood of pack days gone by stirs up restlessness, which courses through their bodies, strange and familiar at the same time.

We Christians have a lot in common with them, don’t we? Born with a sinful nature, we need not be taught to sin, it comes as naturally as a coyote pup’s howl. Selfishness and self-preservation course through us with equal ease. It is the ‘dying to self’ we must work hard to maintain, fighting those natural urges. Our blood is easily stirred by the call of the wild and worldly.

When we do not heed our Master, we are as useless as an untrained dog. We would roam about seeking our own pleasures, fighting for that which nourishes us. The ‘pack mentality’ would become our source of strength, our sense of family. Our comfort found in others as wild and sinful as ourselves; each struggling to stay on top in the pecking order of the pack.

Each night in our home, we snuggle up with our well-fed hounds for family time. They are loved on and give love freely in return. Contentment is practically pliable, and certainly most visible in both man and beast. Our time together satisfies us all. Yet, when they do not observe the house rules, choosing to ignore the commands given, our time is not spent resting in sweet companionship, it requires discipline and structure be restored straight away. Any rebellious behavior addressed. Our love for them not changed by any wrong behavior, but our opportunity to enjoy their company wiped away for the moment at hand. Sometimes the offender sent away from our presence, bad behavior cannot be rewarded. They want nothing more than to sit by our side or in our laps, feeling a loving touch. This is the same touch a coyote pup never knows, except from another coyote. The call of the wild is in the wind.    

There’s a lesson in there…..

Lesson Under the Early Morning Stars

My morning was fraught with mishap. Before Honey left for work, we loaded the car with things we had gathered to donate; he will drop them off today. Honey had propped the outside door on the back porch open for easy access. To my dismay, I discovered I never closed it when I came in. The older dogs run straight outside when released from their kennels, I was lagging behind taking care of things with the puppy. Once outside with her, horror filled my heart because the dogs were not in their potty yard but roaming free in our unfenced back area. Not good!

I called them and two of the three ran back inside. Pan Dulce, normally an obedient dog, just watched me from a distance, ignoring my call….then the next, and the next, and the next. Not to be outwitted by a 3 ½ pound canine, I sat on the ground holding a treat in my hand to wait him out. As I sat on the chilly, damp, hard ground full of who knows what kind of creepy crawlers…and let's not forget the sticker burrs…I called lovingly to Pan Dulce. He is the consummate lap dog and typically cannot resist an offered lap. Not his morning! "Plan A" did not pan (pardon the pun) out.

Needing another plan of action, I got up and tried to walk toward him. This would have worked…if he had stood still!!! But, NOOOO, he would stay just out of reach and dash off if I ventured nearer. I called him in that loving 'mama' tone, I changed to the authoritative "Alpha pack leader" tone, I did not whine nor yell, though my frustration level was rising quickly! "Plan B" also failed.

 I went inside to get some of his food, knowing he would want that. He did want it, he would come in close enough to take a good whiff but young Pan is quicker than his mama…especially when she sits on the ground…and he'd take off when I lounged at him.

Then came the tap, the Holy Tap on my shoulder, the morning nudge from God to remind me to pay attention…looking up at the dark sky full of stars, I waited….here's what I heard Him say in my spirit: "This is how My children are with Me. They run away when excited about something out in the world. They will look to Me from a distance but not heed My call. When My hand is extended they come running in anticipation but stop short of commitment. What would you show them to make them want Me and come to Me?" Hmmm. Deep stuff, that question. What would I show them?

People would rather see a sermon than hear one and all I could show them was God's love for me. "Thank you, Lord!" I took Nikos out of the fence and sat down to love all over him. He 'kissed' me and I hugged him. Just love all around. It was only a matter of seconds before Pan Dulce was in  my lap wanting to be loved, too! Whoo hoo! Thank you, Jesus! That would have made a good ending to the story… if it had been the end.

As I tried to get up with a dog under each arm, I stumbled and fell back down on the rock in the French Drain hidden under the grass. My knee took the worse of the blow and pain shot up my body. It was the kind of pain that makes you queasy and sweaty. I couldn't put the dogs down, so I struggled again and again to get on my feet. Once safely behind the fence, I limped inside after hugging the two bundles of love in my arms. I checked out my knee in the light. It is swollen and bruised. The words from the Christian song, "By His Wounds" rushed to my mind, it's from Isaiah 53:5. This is the verse repeated in the song and chorus:

He was pierced for our transgressions
And crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

We are healed by Your sacrifice
And the life that You gave
We are healed for You paid the price
By Your grace we are saved
We are saved

Isn't wonderful how God uses everyday life to show us something! I love the life lessons He shares with me. I know God may have used this incident to help me retrieve my dog and remind me to show the love of Christ to win others to Him. But, I also know He may have orchestrated this incident because someone reading this needed to hear it. Regardless, a side lesson is that God is in everything, absolutely everything, we just have to watch and listen for Him.

Hearing God

Tuning your spiritual ears to listen for God is always advisable. I expect God to 'talk' to me, so I listen for it. I've written before about what I call 'the holy tap on the shoulder' when God is making a point with me. This morning I was taking care of my outside business; feeding the wild cats, garden duties, etc when God spoke to me not once but twice in a couple of minute's time about what seemed to be two separate issues.

First, as I put out cat food, I had to chase off a couple of feral male cats that I have not committed to feeding, though they are frequent guest at 'Hacienda Bermea Cat Buffet'. As I chased them off I spiritually heard 'Yes, I tell you that whenever you did these things one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me!" Cats, God? This applies to cats, too? Really?!

Of course, the verse is out of Matthew 25 and that line comes from the paragraph verses 34-40…..'Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared fro you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the people who have done what God wants will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' The king will say to them, 'Yes, I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me.'

Ok, but does this apply to feeding all the hungry cats that show up? Are we counting animals as 'the least important of these brothers of mine'? We read in Job 12:7-10 when he is responding to his friends(?)….. "But ask the animals – they will teach you - and the birds in the air – they will tell you – or speak to the earth – it will teach you – and the fishes in the sea will inform you: everyone one of them knows that the hand of Adonai has done this! In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being.

I'm sure this could be debated for eons by the various theologians but the key words in theses verse that made my spine tingle was "In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being." If the kitties and my spirit are cradled in the same palm of God, who am I to say they do not count? As hardheaded as I can be sometimes, this verse reverberated within my spirit, and I decided that second guessing God is a path down a rocky road I choose not to travel. I had gladly fed the two cats I wanted to feed but tried to run off any I had not hand picked. Hind-sight being the wonderful tool it is, I looked back at those efforts to run off some of the cats through eyes that just read Matthew 25:40 and felt conviction. In discussing this with my good friend, Mina, she said, "You know, Mimi, I believe God sent them to your door because you and Papa John have a heart for cats. He doesn't send cats to my door. He sends those in need to those that can and will help."

If God did direct them to our door because He knows my Honey and I have a soft spot for them and WOULD feed them, I sure do not want to be the one turning the hungry and thirsty cats away. At this moment in time we have a litter of kittens living under our house born just last Thursday. The momma cat is one I chose to feed because she showed up one day looking very much like a young homeless kitty. She is still very skittish and does not allow us to touch her but we are gaining ground. Today, for the first time, she walked up to my outstretched hand and sniffed my fingers. I was so excited and happy! Silly, isn't it, yet it filled me with joy! ……Hmmm, makes me wonder now why I didn't consider the cats a gift from God rather than pests we spend money on to feed. Through the eyes of God, the situation looks very different! There's a lesson in there, Friends!

You'll have to come back tomorrow to get the other message from God this morning…this ran a bit too long to include the 2^nd message. See you then!