Carl loves Bee. Now that he is a little older, he has begun to try and show it in ways that are just not acceptable. He is constantly climbing on top of Bee, sniffing her and wanting her to return his affection. Bee doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. She either lies down and is very still or runs from Carl when he draws close. But Carl’s persistence can get on Bee’s nerves. So what starts in play can end up with the two of them locked together with gnashing of the teeth or Carl howling in an unbearable high pitch.
Finally after a few minutes of being neglected, Carl lays down on the cool hardwood floor and dozes off. Bee is also taking advantage of the short lived peace and lays down and falls fast asleep.
Observing how quiet they are now, it is hard to believe that my two French Bulldogs were so rambunctious just a couple of minutes ago. I am almost afraid to move and awaken them from their calm state.
Carl reminds me of how we all can get when we want something and we just can’t get it. Isn’t this what happens when we worship something that just doesn’t fulfill our inner most need? We could be going after money, power, or love just to name a few. And as we pursue our worldly desires, we end up frustrated by the fact that they just don’t complete us.
I think of the Samaritan woman and the question she asked Jesus in John 4:11. “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?”
Now here was a woman who had tried to find her fulfillment through relationships. She had been married five times and was now living with a man. But before judging her so harshly, we need to closely examine our own pursuits. It may not be sexual relationships but if we look intently, we will find pursuits out of the will of God.
In John 4:13, Jesus tells us that our worldly pursuits will only create a thirst for more but if we drink from him, we will never thirst again. And he doesn’t stop there. He states in John 4:14, “Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Now as I watch Carl pursue Bee, I hope it will serve as a reminder for me to look at my own pursuits. And hopefully, I will remember the living water that I can receive by just seeking God with my entire heart, soul, and mind.