My niece and her husband came over today to rake my leaves. If you have ever met my dog Boomer, you know that he feels slighted if he is not allowed to be outside when others are. I could hear him from inside, barking, whining, using whatever tactic he knew would soften my heart. Well, I let him out but did not chain him. Mind you that I should have been a little more vigilant because Boomer has run away twice on my watch, much to my husband’s and son’s chagrin.
As I was caught up in conversation and gathering stray leaves (You guessed it!), Boomer had an opportunity to disappear from my sight. So I called him, realizing that my husband would not be very pleased if I had to repeat Boomer’s disappearance story a third time! So I searched for him, calling Boomer’s name so as not to alarm him if he were in earshot. I called several times — this is not looking good, I thought. I walked a few more paces, growing more alarmed with each passing moment. Then he sheepishly appeared from the neighbor’s house. I grabbed him by the collar and proceeded to chain him.
“Look at you acting like God with that dog!” my niece said. “What?” I asked. “You know if you trust him like that he will run away,” she answered. “Is that bad?” I asked, wanting to hear her response. Well, to those of us who NEED to be on lockdown, we will think it’s bad. That’s just the nature of free will,” she finished.
I know that free will can be a blessing and a curse to us — but Abba gives it to us, no matter which choice he knows we will make. Thank you, Abba, that we are always within earshot of your voice! Call us! Yell for us! Beckon us to come if we stray! It does not matter if we return sheepishly with our tails between our legs — what matters is that we return. Even though at times we may need a chain, I know you would never chain us; you love us too much to lessen your divine nature within us. Thank you for not just acting like God with us, but BEING God.
QUESTIONS: How has he been God in your life? Do you wish that God could put you on lockdown? Did you know that having the ability to make choices is a divine trait? Have you protected that trait nobly?
Well, I Love that God gives us free will, because thats has to show us unconditional love. The greatest Love ever. Often I don’t want my own will. I would rather be pushed into will or to be on lockdown, but then I think it would take away the purpose of me loving Him and others with true Love, God’s Love. If the Lockdown was there we wouldn’t be created in His image, would we? And it would mean less effort on my part, how would I grow, I don’t think I would.
Wow! What maturity in your response — and truthfulness, transparency, and a desire to grow even more in God!
And, I agree with you — we would not grow! We would never be able to know the height, the breadth, the length, and the depth of His love! What dead lives we would live!!! Thank you, Father, for sharing with us something that has been so abused and misused over the centuries — you trusted us with free will. Thank you!