Not like Moses, who witnessed the miracle of a bush completely on fire yet not burning up. Not like Joseph the carpenter, whose dreams blurred the line between imagination and reality. Not like Peter, who had the incredible privilege of face-to-face time with God Himself.
Nope, my messages come quite differently. Sometimes in the shower, sometimes over a sink full of dirty dishes. A couple of times while I’m enduring the monotony of driving on Texas highways. But today, it was over lunch. Actually, it was in the midst of slicing cucumber next to a partially made turkey wrap.
But first, the backstory. This summer, we’ve been studying the Fruit of the Spirit on Sunday mornings. This past Sunday the message happened to be about faithfulness – our faithfulness but more importantly, God’s faithfulness. I’d had my appetite whetted beforehand when I saw a dear friend – I call her my “cup filler” – in between services. As we talked, she told me that the message had been really good, something that deeply resonated with her, and that she was still processing, still thinking through much of what our pastor said.
I went in. I listened eagerly. I knew I needed this message, based on a situation that had arisen the previous week. A situation where – in all honesty – though a decision has been made, God still has a hold on my heart and I am still struggling, wrestling, and earnestly seeking peace.
So now we get to today’s lunch. As I prepared my wrap, my thoughts were filled with the blessings of VBS last night, anticipating tonight. And then I happened to catch a glimpse of our dog. CeCe the Wonder Dog, we call her. She is an amazing blessing to our family – a godsend in the truest form. I was reminded of our pastor’s example of dogs, how they teach us about loyalty and what it looks like, what true faithfulness is. When I saw CeCe, it hit me.
You see, whenever any one of us goes into the kitchen and stands at the island, CeCe shows up. She sits. Right there, at the corner between the island and the sink, she sits. And she waits. She doesn’t bark, she doesn’t whine, she doesn’t put her feet on the island to sniff around for scraps. She simply sits, patiently…and looks. EXPECTANTLY. Because even in her short time with us, she has learned: we can be trusted. We are good. Whether it’s a word of praise, a pat on the head, or a scrap of yummy people food that “accidentally” happens to fall off the island, she knows when she sits there that something good is coming…at the hand of her Master.
That’s when I heard the gentle promptings of my God. Do you do the same with Me? Do I sit at His feet, patiently, waiting for the good things He has promised? Do I sit, quietly but expectantly, knowing that He is good and believing His promises, His word? Because He is far more good than I am to CeCe, far more faithful, far more generous, far more loving. Our “BIG GOD” is not only the God of an uncertain future, but He is the BIG GOD of love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Bible says, “against such things there is no law”…but “against such things” there is also no limit.
Last week we went on a family vacation to – of all places – Albuquerque, NM. No reason – just a fun word to say and it’s where the dart ended up on the map. 🙂 While we were there, we visited quite a few museums. Outside the Albuquerque museum there is a sculpture by Glenna Goodacre depicting a slice of everyday life. A couple, locked in an embrace, looks lovingly at one another, a mother reads to her young daughter, a business man checks the local paper…and this:
I see in that dog the same expectancy I see in CeCe. I see the same absolute belief in his goodness, the same unwavering confidence in his kindness, the same adoring love, the same trust. And in the gentleman I see love, concern, and tenderness. Exactly the same way God sees us.
My pastor was right. We need to be more like dogs. Humble. Expectant. Trusting. Knowing our Master is good, and believing He will give us good things, if only we will wait patiently…and with great expectation.
