Dogs truly are a man's best friend. They can teach you love like none other here on earth. For that reason, pets have always held a very special place in my heart.
Today when I arrived home, one of my little miniature Yorkie's (Pixie) came running up to me and started jumping for me to pick her up. I willingly did, and that's when it hit me.
Pixie is all of three pounds. She stands no taller than six inches from the ground. She is six.
By nature she is very petite and fragile; most likely, she was the runt of her litter. And by God's kind grace, we were able to experience life with her.
As I lifted her up, she began to get even more excited. She lunged toward my face, ready to cover me with happy kisses, welcoming me home. I held her in my arms as she squirmed around, trying to rub against me, lick me, and show her love and appreciation in every way she knew possible. And that's when I realized, she is over five foot from the ground. Cold, hard concrete.. that if she was dropped onto, could have devastating consequence... serious injury at best.
You see, I was aware of that danger. She was not. I could see the bigger picture. She could not.
She didn't have a care or fear in the world. She was safe, in her daddy's arms, her favorite place to be. Heights didn't bother her. My inadequacies or ability to potentially make a harmful mistake never crossed her mind. The potential of me letting her down or hurting her was never even considered. She was safe. Period. One hundred percent of her stock was excitedly vested into me, without question. And so it immediately became my job, to honor that trust. To value her and protect her from potential harm. To ensure that her trust and safety were not misplaced. To guard that with which I was entrusted.
And so it is with our heavenly Father. We should be excited to lunge toward Him, without any regard as to consequence... offering full trust in His ability to secure and protect us when we place our trust in Him. How much more capable is the God of the universe, than even I in looking out for a little one?
Pixie experiences the love and admiration I have for her, simply by looking into my eyes. She sees the pleasure she brings, it is written all over my face. How different is our Father with us? The love of a pet is no match for One who sacrificed the most precious part of His very own self to protect us.
Our pets are more than pets, they are family. My Father is more than a religious regime to be followed, He is also family. I can only wish these experiences, these emotions, this sense of closeness and security, for all of you.
But I do know, if you desire it, you can have it. It's yours for the taking.
~ Devin
Devin Osborne
