I grew up with dogs and I've wanted one for years, but my wonderful wife was never so excited about it as she did not grow up with dogs and she likes her house to be in order. Puppies and houses in order do not go together very well! But, alas, on my last birthday she surprised me and told me that she was getting me a dog. I was completely shocked, but thrilled. After spending a lot of time looking at rescuing a dog, we still ended up getting a little Westie (West Highland White Terrier) from a breeder. I decided to call him Father Murphy because of all the Irish jokes that I've heard that started, "And so Father Murphy went into a pub." (Never mind that Westies are Scottish!)
Of course, the first order of business is to housetrain the puppy. Remember what I said about the house being in order! Even though I've been around dogs a lot in my life, I've never actually had to completely housetrain one. I always thought that it looked easy enough with the basic idea that you just keep taking him outside to go and when he does you praise him. Eventually he gets the idea that going outside is a great idea and going inside is a bad one. Sounds easy, right?
Well here we are almost a month into the whole ordeal and ole Father Murphy just took another leak on my bedroom floor after just having done the same thing outside a half hour before. Every time that we think that he is getting it we are clearly shown that he does not quite get it just yet. My wonderful wife is basically at the point that she thinks that he never will get it.
Of course, this does remind me of ourselves in relation to God. As a pastor I'm constantly trying to work with people spiritually and just when I think that they are getting it then they take a leak on my bedroom floor. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean. And then I think to myself, "Will they ever get it?" How self-righteous of me! I think that way and completely ignore the fact that I'm not getting it either; as if I've got it all together.
When we see people we must see them for who they are, and that is loved by God and made in his image. I don't have it all figured out and neither do you and we won't unless we have Jesus and then one day we'll be in glory. Then it will all come together. Not because I finally figured out, but because God finished the work in me that he had started from before the foundation of the world.
Of course, the first order of business is to housetrain the puppy. Remember what I said about the house being in order! Even though I've been around dogs a lot in my life, I've never actually had to completely housetrain one. I always thought that it looked easy enough with the basic idea that you just keep taking him outside to go and when he does you praise him. Eventually he gets the idea that going outside is a great idea and going inside is a bad one. Sounds easy, right?
Well here we are almost a month into the whole ordeal and ole Father Murphy just took another leak on my bedroom floor after just having done the same thing outside a half hour before. Every time that we think that he is getting it we are clearly shown that he does not quite get it just yet. My wonderful wife is basically at the point that she thinks that he never will get it.
Of course, this does remind me of ourselves in relation to God. As a pastor I'm constantly trying to work with people spiritually and just when I think that they are getting it then they take a leak on my bedroom floor. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean. And then I think to myself, "Will they ever get it?" How self-righteous of me! I think that way and completely ignore the fact that I'm not getting it either; as if I've got it all together.
When we see people we must see them for who they are, and that is loved by God and made in his image. I don't have it all figured out and neither do you and we won't unless we have Jesus and then one day we'll be in glory. Then it will all come together. Not because I finally figured out, but because God finished the work in me that he had started from before the foundation of the world.
