Let's just say our Marlie likes to take "field trips" - and she doesn't bother to get her permission slip signed before leaving either! I don't know why, but Marlie makes the most of any opportunity to take off if she sees the door open just a smidge. I have no idea why she does this, but it infuriates me! She will take off across the field, just frolicking around like she doesn't mind the fact that her little field trip will cost lots of pain and inconvenience later when I have to pick all of the cockelburs from her fluffy white fur. (And you know all the while, I will be griping about it.)
The girls freak out every time this happens, which makes matters worse because our four-legged friend seems to feed off of their energy. We call her and she'll turn around, look at us, stop, allow us to approach, and just when you think she's going to run back to us, she whips around and takes off again. I go to the cabinet, dig out some kind of treat - preferably something in a bag that rattles - and trek across the field toward her, in one breath I'm murmuring something like, "Their ain't no dog worth gettin snake bit over!" while I tromp over the weeds and in the next breath I am sweetly calling this precious fur ball "Come on, Marlie...come see Momma....I brought you a treat!" in the nicest voice I can dig up. The more I call, the further she gets from me.
I'm getting mad just thinking about it, and the poor dog is laying right here beside me!
BUT- when she finally decides she IS coming home, there is no doubt within her at all. She runs full force, her hair blowing backward, tongue flopping around, and jumps right into my arms.
When I read Hosea 11:1-2 recently, it made me think of Marlie's field trips...... and mine.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.
After reading these words, I immediately thought of Marlie's field trips and how frustrating it is when she does this. I call and call and call her, she looks at me, but then chooses the the other direction. I do the same with my Father, taking field trips in life that I have no business going on. He calls and calls and calls me, and I know He is what is best, but in the moment I surrender to my flesh and tromple off in the cockleburs......And sometimes come home to Him with cockleburs stuck all over me.
My sweet sister, what is He calling you to? Do you hear Him pursuing you, calling your name? It is He who loves you. It is He who made you. It is He who died for you.
And it is He who will gently, with His heart full of mercy, who pulls the cockelburs off of you, one by one until you are just like new.
Run full force into His arms.....He is waiting to receive you.
Royal Princess Daughter Of The King
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