And I have been thinking about that dog today.Because in many ways that dog is just so much better than me…
I was talking to a dear family member the other day about his pet dog. Now, this family member loves his dog. And he loves this dog very much indeed…
He does lots of things for his dog. He feeds him nice food and plays with him and takes him for walks. And one of the regular things that he does with his dog is that he walks his dog to the local café for breakfast. When they get there, he buys himself a nice breakfast and usually offers his dog a piece of peanut butter toast and his dog – understandably – loves this little treat.
And while we were speaking, this man explained to me that his dog is clever enough to understand not only this walking routine, but also the routine of his week. You see, on a weekday, when this man is busy and needs to rush off to work, his dog leaves him alone in the mornings. But on a weekend, when he expects to be taken on a walk, he knows very well that his owner is available to get him that peanut butter toast, and so on those mornings, he waits by the door until his owner is ready to take him out…
And I have been thinking about that dog today. Because in many ways that dog is just so much better than me…
You see that dog trusts his owner completely… He understands that his owner is going to do good things for him and offer him nice food. And because of this complete trust, this dog is able to follow his owner all the way to that café and his peanut butter toast…
And I compare this routine with my own. You see, God is looking after me far better than this man looks after his dog. And God does this because He loves me far more than this man could ever love his dog. And what do I do? Well – I doubt Him.
I look at all the wonders of my existence – the very fact that God allowed for my conception – the fact that He created me, and I doubt. I wonder if I am going to be alright. I worry about work and my family. I worry about my friendships and my success. I worry about money and holidays. I worry about countless little things.
And it occurs to me that in this I really am – in a way – far less than a simple little dog. You see, that dog does not worry about work or family. He does not worry about friendship or success. He never thinks about money or holidays. And he trusts his owner. And he trusts him even if his owner does NOT take him to the café for a peanut butter toast on one of these days. Because he knows that one day in the future, he will get that toast again…
And I have been thinking about that today. Because I realise that I really do need to change my routine…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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