Lavished with Love

The arrangements had been made for Carl to stay with my neighbor while we were away for my daughter’s wedding. The morning before leaving, I walked Carl over and was surprised to find out that they wanted to go ahead and keep him so we could pack without the distractions. I really wasn’t emotionally ready to let him go but thought that it would be a good idea of let him stay.

After a couple of hours, I couldn’t help but wonder if Carl was missing us. So whenever I got a chance, I would peek through the trees to see if Carl was at least looking in our direction. But every time I saw him, he was either playing with their young son or exploring the wilds of their backyard.

Disappointment began to seep into my heart. My little dog who I had loved up on for years wasn’t in the least bit upset about not being in his own back yard with the people who took care of all of his needs. I wanted him to be happy but I also wanted to feel like I was missed just a little bit.

Disappointment is one emotion that sneaks up on me at the most inconvenient times. I can be sailing through life and then someone hurts my feelings or things don’t go the way I have expected.  Then the emotions begin to form in the pit of my stomach and the negative thoughts cloud my perspective.

Jesus encountered a lot of individuals that had suffered intense disappointments in their lives. I am particularly taken by the woman who had been suffering from bleeding for over a decade. She was disappointed time and time again when she left the doctor’s office with no cure. But the greatest disappointment must have come when her family rejected her and no one would dare come near her.

I can’t imagine what she was thinking when she heard of the miracles that Jesus had been performing. But the problem was getting to him. She was not allowed around people and she knew the penalty for being seen in the crowds. But even so, she knew Jesus was her only chance for healing.

If Jesus healed this woman and turned her disappointment into joy, why do we have such a hard time believing that He won’t do the same for us? Why do we walk around in our disappointment and forget that He actually rose from the dead and is alive?

This woman’s faith and her willingness to act saved her and this same faith can save us as well. All we need to do is act with the faith that has been given to us.

So, I decided that I wasn’t going to fester in my disappointment any longer. I picked up Carl’s favorite blanket and some extra food and walked back to my neighbor’s house. I knocked on the kitchen door and my sweet little Carl came around the corner. As the door was opened, Carl jumped up on me and lavished me with kisses.

And the more I think about it, didn’t Jesus lavish his love upon this woman and heal her?