Recently, we took a family outing to the dog park at Shelby Farms and what an outing it was. If you can imagine 3 small children and a bulldog at a dog park where the grass is filled with, well lets just say smelly surprises. It never fails that the Pastors dog is the dog at the park who needs obedience training, not to mention his kids. It was fun though, but Ashley and I sure took a sigh of relief as we loaded everyone back up into the car to head home.After a few days I came across this picture that we took while we were there of the boys and the dog (Vinnie). As I was looking at the pic, God suddenly began to speak to me as He seems to always do in the strangest of moments. He said this this picture is a picture of Me. I couldn't quite figure it out until He quickened my mind to a movie I recently saw - Marley and Me - great movie - In a nutshell the movie was fundamentally about one thing, the simple things in life that bring happiness and love you the most. At the end of the movie John began to reflect on all of the great years that his family had with his dog Marley. As he reflected he came to the conclusion that a dog is one of those creatures that loves you for just you, doesn't matter how mean you are to him, how many times you lock him outside, or punish him, or how aggravated you get with him, he just continues to love you right up until the bitter end.
Then God brought me back to the picture and showed me that in that picture contained three beings that absolutely and unconditionally love me, my boys and my dog Vinnie. Even though I haven't been the perfect father by any stretch, or the perfect dog owner, each of them still choose to look beyond my flaws and see my good points. Then God said to me "Now do you get the picture?" God is the same way with us. We can all say that there are moments when we throw God out of our lives, or forget about him altogether, but when we need Him the most He is always there just waiting for us to return to Him. He always has his hands of love out in hopes that we will become the person that He has destined for us to become. He loves us just the way we are, we don't have to do any special tricks, know any special things, look or dress a certain way for God, He just accepts us all of the time, any time, and every time.
