Monday, January 03, 2005

A Lesson from My Dog

One of the things I just love about my dog is the way he has to be near me all the time. It's pretty rare for me to be in one room and not hear tap-tap-tap as MacGyver comes to check out what I'm doing. If I'm at the computer, he'll curl up at my feet. If I'm reading or watching TV, he worms his way onto my lap. But what makes me smile most is when I'm taking a shower. We leave the door cracked an inch or so as we don't have a fan in there. It's not long before I hear a scuffling sound and pull back the curtain - yep, there's MacGyver, making a little nest for himself amongst my bathroom rugs. He just wants to be where I am, and frankly, I find that most delightful!

How much more so must God be delighted when I desire to be with Him! As I read in Genesis 3 today, it struck me that Eve was not satisfied with the presence of God. How wonderful it must have been to just walk and talk with the Lord God in the cool of the evening amongst the trees and wildlife, and yet Eve wanted more. And that wanting was her downfall, indeed, the downfall of all mankind. It's still my downfall today. Sometimes I'm so busy planning, wishing, going and doing, that I fail to enjoy the presence of God. Just as that tree in the center of the garden caught Eve's attention, so I'm easily distracted by so many things, many of them good things.

So this year, I want to take a lesson from my dog. I want to delight in God's presence. That's where I want to be.

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