Loved

To explain the background of today, let me say this: I've always been a "glass half-empty" sort of person. No, that's not true. Honestly, I've always been a "just throw the glass away, it wouldn't hold water long anyway" sort of person! I always look on the dark side of things. I must have been born during an eclipse. I go through many different ways of trying to look on the bright side, but my natural impulse always pulls me to the dark side first. In the past few days, I've been talking with a friend who has been challenging me to a "Pollyanna" way of thinking. So I've been trying... really I have!!!


I woke up early this morning! Didn't want to, but I did. And as I lay in bed, trying to convince myself I had a chance of going back to sleep, I pulled my dog, Anya up closer to me and cuddled with her. As usual, I couldn't resist giving her a hug, a kiss, and patting her as I told her what a good girl she was. Somehow, in the middle of doing this, I started thinking about how much love this little dog gets! Even though my kids all have dogs of their own, they all really love Anya too! So does my husband. 


As I thought about this, I went to the dark side. I looked at this loved little dog, and thought - I wish I were loved this much. Suddenly - faster than it takes to tell it, I was whipped around to the bright side as I realized I AM loved this much! I am loved MORE! And immediately I was surrounded with an overwhelming feeling of how much God loves me. I pictured Him holding me, hugging me, and calling me His good girl.


I know God loves me! I've known that since before I ever sang the song, "Jesus Loves Me". But with my natural disposition to look at the dark side; every time I think "God loves me", I either follow it up with, "God loves everyone" or "But I'm always letting Him down". How sad that I take a love greater than anyone can imagine, and turn it into something easily brushed off and unimportant. But not today! Today, after receiving what felt like mental whiplash, I saw His love for me through the eyes of my dog.


Lord, let me always have the wisdom of my dog when it comes to Your love. Let me know that even when I don't see/feel You, You still love me. Help me remember that when You have to scold or punish me for something, or let me go through something that doesn't seem right or fair, You do it out of love for me. Like my dog, let me trust in Your love's strength and power no matter what! Help me be watching and waiting for any and all signs of Your love and recognize each sign as a complete and fulfilling sign of how important I am in Your eyes, no matter what I do wrong. And Lord, like my dog, help me to see each sign as an open invitation to jump up into Your lap and receive the full treatment! Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful reminder!


1 John 3:1a: See what great love the Father has LAVISHED on us, that we should be called children of God! (NIV - emphasis mine)
Eph 3:17b-19: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (NIV)

Anya