TODAY IS SATURDDAY...........

Today is Saturday.  In our house it means: no appointments, sleep in (if you can), no special time for meals, interruptions are O K,( but do not mess around with the same old doggie walks for Max, or he gets frustrated.)


This morning, early (far too early!) Max woke me up ready to go right now! " No, Max.  First, I get up and have a little talk with my Lord Jesus."  I swear he seemed to pout! but he hunkered down on the couch. (Yes, he gets to sit there or lay there, or anything he wants to there! And yes, he was pouting!  There is no doubt in my mind!)


I picked up my very special little book by Sarah Young, JESUS CALLING.  I was reluctant at one time to have another devotional book (I already had quite a few and was no longer reading them except for one nightly called  MY UTMOST  FOR HIS HIGHEST by Oswald Chambers which we have read aloud each night of our marriage of 60 years.) But  back to JESUS CALLING....I  believe He really does call a person through this book.  It resonates truth to me, at least!


With a pouting dog next to me I read this:  "There is no place so desolate that you cannot find Me there. No set of circumstances could ever isolate you from My loving Presence.  Not only do I see you always; I see you as a redeemed saint, gloriously radiant in My righteousness.  That is why I take great delight in you and rejoice over you with singing!"


Now you may wonder how I could think of Max, the dog, after reading this short reminder of God's love for me. Well, I often think of Max as a human and when I do, I  expect him to act like a human, in fact, a good human.  He just can't make it.  He just isn't now nor will he ever be a human.  This is not totally unlike me and God, with a huge difference.  God does not expect me to act like a saint!  He knows my imperfections, and although he tries to help me correct them, he gives me quite a lot of slack by loving me in-spite-of.


And then I realized, I love Maxie just the way he is and in-spite-of what he is.  And he's a dog.  He's a good dog.  And if he learned to pout, he might have learned it from some human he hangs around with. Hmmnn.


So, Lord, I thank you once again for Max, for all the critters we humans love.  And thanks, too, for letting me see myself and YOU in the morning wake-up we  each enjoyed, for I know you enjoyed it, too, didn't you? I sensed your delight in me...and in Max!


Holy Spirit shine your light on me and on those who read about this blessing I received from you today.


May you, my friend,  see the light that is always with you.


Your blogging friend, Jo in MN