11.23.10 - Today I Made... a connection

I have two dogs.  Woody (on right) and Ellie (on left).  They are both rescues from the Sacramento SPCA.  Woody, an English Pointer mix, is 8 1/2 and Ellie (Elinor), a Belgian Shepard/Lab mix, is 5.  They are wonderful dogs, but came with their fair share of issues.  For the first five months that Woody lived with us, he was with me 24/7 because he freaked out when he was left by himself.  Thankfully when Ellie came along, her presence caused him to calm down enough to be left at home.

God often reveals his character or helps me to understand spiritual matters through my dogs and the connection I made today involves His love for me.  I've never had kids and while I can intellectually understand unconditional love, the closest I am going to come to actually feeling the reality of that is through my dogs.  Lately Ellie has become quite clingy with me, like a toddler who is afraid to leave mom.  This is strange because she has always been a very independent dog.  Now I know they are dogs, but they do have personalities and as they age so do their personalities.

Ellie was hugging close to my legs and not giving me much room to maneuver while I was getting ready and it was becoming irritating, and out of desperation I said to her, "Ellie, don't you know how much I love you.  You don't have to worry... I'm not going anywhere."

In that moment, I had a brief, miniscule flash of what God's love for me must be like.  It's like He was saying, "Grace, don't you know how much I love you.  You don't have to worry..."  And God's love is perfect, unlike mine which falters.  It was a very peaceful, reassuring moment.  I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that God deals with me the same way I deal with Him or with other people.  Thank goodness He doesn't!  Thank goodness His ways are not my ways!