Some of you know I have a dog. She is a 6-year-old miniature boxer. Her name is Aggie. I rescued her from a shelter last December, so we are still learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
I’ve never rescued an older dog before and it has come with its challenges. I had all these expectations because they told me she was house-broken and leash trained. I thought I was getting the perfect dog. One of my expectations was snuggling. My past is filled with 90-pound lap dogs. I had no idea some dogs don’t like snuggles! Aggie’s version of snuggling is sitting on the couch at the same time or laying on the floor next to my side of the bed. My 90-pound lap dogs always slept ON the bed.
My next challenge was the kennel. I learned very quickly that she is an escape artist! The first kennel I got her, she bent the bars and got out. The 2nd kennel I had she learned how to open the door. I tried putting her in a harness with a cable outside… she figured out how to get out of the harness. I finally decided to skip all that and let her roam the house while I was gone… and she escaped through the window screen!
I was frustrated and angry with her. I even emailed the shelter and asked if I could bring her back and they never responded. I was desperate enough to try to give her away to family members!
One day as we were taking our evening walk, I was praying “God what am I going to do with her? I feel like I’ve run out of options. You gotta figure this out because I'm done with this mess.” And I instantly heard that still small voice say “What if I had given up on you when you were uncooperative? What if every person who didn’t understand you or didn’t know your past just abandoned you?”
And standing there in the street, I was a sobbing, emotional wreck. And my attitude went from one of frustration and anger to one of empathy and love. We weren’t so different, her and I. We are probably in each other’s lives for a reason.
John 13:34-35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That’s a tall order. It’s much easier to love someone that’s nice to us – someone who makes our lives easier instead of harder. Not only that, but we’re supposed to love like Jesus! To love them sacrificially, selflessly, and forgivingly. It means to love people even when they don't deserve it or CAN’T earn it.
Jesus suffered and died on a cross because He knew that was the only way we could join Him in heaven. I have heard myself say, “I can’t believe I am doing this for so-and-so! This is stupid! They’re never going to learn.” But show me one place in the Bible where Jesus says, “I can’t believe I’m going to die for you people. Do you even know how rotten you are?”
No. Instead He said in John 6:38 "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.” He didn’t die on that cross because we deserved forgiveness. He doesn’t love us unconditionally because we’re so awesome. He does ALL things in obedience to the Father. And that’s exactly what we are called to do - to love like Jesus in obedience to the Father. Not just when we’re having a good day or when life is going great, but always. Even when they make your life difficult.
It wasn’t Aggie that changed that day that God spoke to my heart, it was ME. I stopped thinking about getting rid of her and realized maybe she’d never had anyone love her before. Maybe she didn’t even know what love and affection felt like. You can’t reciprocate something you know nothing about. But maybe you’ll be blessed enough to have someone teach you. That’s what the world needs to see from us. They need to see love in its purest form. The love of Jesus.
Because if we’re not brave enough to do that, who will?
Matthew 25:37-40
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Comentarios