Come Home

I love how God shows us profound principles through everyday circumstances.  Today while retrieving our runaway dog, was one of those times for me.

During Jax's earlier years, he would escape from our fenced-in backyard any chance he got.  He was eager for adventure and exploration.  Now, at 12 years old, he doesn't venture out as much and doesn't get as far away as he used to, but will still attempt to, on a regular basis.  Our fence has seen its better days and so there are many spots where he is able to crawl under and begin to trot happily around our neighborhood.  I keep thinking, "what if one of these days, a driver doesn't see him crossing the road?"  I can't bear to think of the outcome.

Today, I realized Jax had escaped and set out to find him.  I quickly saw that he was in the neighbor's yard across the street and as I approached him, holding out my arms, he stood still and hung his head, waiting for me to pick him up.  In that moment, my eyes were opened to how such a simple circumstance had so clearly mirrored how God our Father views a wayward child.

I wasn't mad at him.  I just love him and don't want him to get hurt.  While surrounding spaces might look appealing to Jax, I know as his loving authority that he will be safer and happier where he belongs - with our family.  This is true of us as God's children! When we wander from our safe place of close communion with the Lord, He doesn't look at us through a lens of condemnation.  He loves us and doesn't want us to get hurt.  He also knows that, just like Jax wandering into the street, it may tragically be to our destruction if we keep going our own way.  He loves us too much to sit back and let that happen!  So, as our loving authority, He pursues us in our wandering.  He approaches us with His arms open wide.

If we humble ourselves and allow Him to pick us up, we'll hear Him say "Come back where you belong - at home in my arms."  And He will carry us there.