Wednesday, December 10, 2014

LOVING OUR PETS

Like most pet owners, I love Baxter, my cat. He is easy to love. His needs are simple to satisfy. He needs food and water, a safe place to live and some attention. He has his quirks about some of these, but I find them more charming than annoying. Baxter usually plays fair. He isn’t deceitful or sneaky. He tells me what he wants, and he settles for what I decide to give him. He lives within the limits we have set for our relationship. Certain times to eat, bathroom practices and places to nap have been agreed upon, and we both follow the terms for these. We have a lot of give and take with each other. If Baxter wants to get on my lap, even if I am using my iPad or talking on the phone, I allow him. He is looking for a warm spot, and I can provide one. On the other hand, Baxter takes care of himself when I am away from home. He doesn’t chew the furniture, steal food or mess where he isn’t supposed to mess. He is well behaved, and I praise him whenever I return for his good manners and responsible actions. I think he appreciates this recognition because he keeps up the good job. I think he appreciates this recognition because he keeps up the good job. I think he appreciates me as well because he looks for me when I am away and welcomes me home when I arrive.

Too bad we do not have the same kind of mutual, honest and accommodating relationship with God. We say we love God, but we live with Him in ways that often contradict our words. We try to get away with things rather than carry through our part of the covenant. We don’t like to be honest with God for fear that He will punish us. From time to time, we step beyond the boundaries of our  relationship to flirt with other gods—money, sex, selfcenteredness, self-indulgence. We don’t like our love for God to inconvenience us. If worship fits into our schedule, we’ll be there; if doing what is right and just proves to our benefit, we’re in on it; if we face sanctions for satisfying our greed, lust or envy, we back off. It is hard for us to love God for God’s sake because we live in a world that doesn’t even acknowledge God’s reality as a part of the human condition. It’s so easy to forget about the bigger issues, the big questions, the wondrous mystery when you commute every day, get the kids from school and to soccer, dance, or karate, and barely say hello to your spouse before it all starts again.

But God still loves us, even more than our pets do. He wants us on mutual terms, but He will take what He can get. God’s love is so deep and strong that He fits in, however we will let Him. God is not easily offended. Instead, He takes any crack in our hearts we open to Him and sneaks in there, offering a moment of peace, a reassuring thought for our future, a sense of gratitude for our  blessings.

God gives wherever and whenever we are ready to receive.  Although we may treat Him worse than a dog, He is always ready to forgive and start anew. We may walk all over God with our sins, hardness of heart, arrogance and disregard, and He simply rolls out more carpet for us to have a soft landing when our pride causes us to fall. Although some might consider such a God a divine patsy, our scriptures teach that this is what sacrificial love unto death looks like, and it will save us.

Sometimes we treat our pets better than God or other people. Other people may be offended and walk away. God stays and waits for us to realize how much better our lives can be when He is part of them. So love your pets, but don’t forget who loves you more.

“Love came down at Christmas.” He died for us, and never left us."