Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Man's Best Friend

For those of you who have pets, particularly dogs, you know what I’m talking about when I say that they are great companions, some would even call them best friends. I can truly say that about my Great Dane Bruce. He is a great companion, a bit large, but a great friend and pal. We often have discussions in the evening about life and about how our days were. It’s a bit one sided, but Bruce does get a word in now and then. Regardless of my mood, or my temperament, Bruce is always wagging his tail and wanting attention, disregarding all of my overtones to just leave me alone for a bit. His love is so unconditional, but then again, we should be accustomed to this type of love.

God is so gracious with His love for us. It does not matter what we do, how we do it, who we upset, or how upset we get, He is there with open arms ready to give us the biggest hug possible. God is such a loving God that sometimes I think He gave us dogs so that we could get a very tiny glimpse into just how unconditional His love is for us and how wonderful it will be to join Him in heaven. I can just imagine all of the wonderful pets I have had in my life waiting there to greet me. It will be a stampede of genuine love and affection when they see me and come running with their tails wagging. I truly believe that “all dogs go to heaven.”

When we try to imagine how wonderful and blissful it will be when we get to see our Savior face to face, it is impossible to do. We, as humans, can only imagine how it will be, and when we do we fall so short of being even close with our anticipated dreams. There are no words presently in the English language to describe this occasion. God is saving the best for last. I know that when it is my time to visit my maker, I will be in awe of His grace and glory. We all need to take just a minute or two out of our hectic day to thank God’s son for going to heaven and preparing a place just for us. It is a beautiful home with many rooms, so many we can’t even count them.

When I try to imagine God’s unconditional love for me, I can’t help but think about my buddy Bruce. God’s plan is to be man and woman’s best friend. A pet is just a great example of God’s unconditional love for his children. This is such a gracious gift from our God that we have no means of repaying this incredible debt. But then again, God doesn’t want repayment, He just wants our love in return. I think I will try harder to show God my love, and maybe there will be a little left over for Bruce. God is a loving God, we just need to return a little of it occasionally, and show Him how we can be His best friend.