Vern held on to the tip of the foam mattress with his baby teeth and pulled it through the door. Before letting go, he shook it violently. Instantly, he lost interest, went over and took a long sip of water, and proceeded to walk through the doggy door that led into the bright sunlight.
Within seconds, he positioned himself in the warm beam of the sun and fell asleep. Noise that resembled an old man snoring immediately came from the little puppy. Peace had rolled in and taken over.
Sometimes all we need to do is look at life from a different angle. This is what Vern has shown me in the last couple of weeks. As much as this little dog can teach me, there is no comparison to opening up the scriptures and taking hold of a verse.
Just today, as I was reading my Bible, my perspective of the power of God forever changed. Acts 16:14 states, “One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
The words, “The Lord opened her heart” never had stopped me in my tracks like it did this time. These words freed me from the feelings of being responsible for the reaction of others to God’s word. Paul was not held accountable for how he shared his faith. In the same manner, neither are we. All God wants us to do is share the love he has for everyone.
I know I can get weirded out when I try to take on the responsibility of sharing God’s love with others. God will do the rest.
Our puppy Vern doesn’t care what we think of him as he does life. Even when he pees in the wrong place or takes out one of our shoes to chew, he is loved. In the same manner, shouldn’t we be content in God’s love for us?
