“For God so loved the world that He
gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but
have eternal life.”
(John 3:16 NIV)
Jake is not
a snake. He is our neighbor’s incognito black Labrador Retriever.
When he
was a puppy, Jake would gallivant over to visit and filch whatever loose item
he could find. Nearly every morning my husband discovered tools, gloves or
shoes missing from our porch. We knew who the culprit was – Jake the Snake!
As months
rolled by Jake got bigger and bigger! The once playful pup is now a large,
lumbering, dauntless mass of jet-black fur. He loves to swim in the lake and be
petted, in that order.
I should
mention the slobbering. As Jake approaches from the seawall, sodden, and drooling
with a mouthful of murky water, he bounds up to me, plops down at my feet, and
lays his huge head in my lap. I can forget about wearing those jeans another
day. They are going in the dirty clothes' basket.
His beady
black eyes, stare out between enormous ears and gaze longingly up at mine.
“Please pet me,” he pleads.
I imagine
God seated on His throne when I burst into His presence like Jake. Heads turn
and slowly back out of my way. I am covered with filth and garbage and dripping
wet from jumping into waters I should have avoided. Like Jake, not ashamed, but
with enthusiasm, I hastily stumble to my heavenly Father’s feet and lay my head
on His lap. “Please forgive me,” I mumble.
The
Creator God lays His perfect hands on my head and reiterates for the umpteenth
time, “I love you. I forgive you. Welcome home!”
I will
love the unlovable, the messy, and the unwelcomed today. I hope you will, too!
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