To get the context, you need to read part one.
In part one, we discussed the qualities of abundant life and
said we would discuss two of the nine qualities in each part. We will kick off with
them.
- 1. 5Peace is a direct result of this love. Ogies stresses about nothing. She knows we will look after her. All she has to do is be herself and enjoy our company. When she steps out of line and annoys us, she’s quick to repent as discussed later, and we have peace again. The Lord cares for you, and all He asks is that you should trust Him and peace will be the result. Trusting Him can be a challenge, though, for then you have to get yourself out of the way, die to self, which is often the problem. Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The words of the condition God set are “anything” and “every”, and the promise is peace that will protect your emotions and your mind. The question is whether you can get yourself to place your concerns in the hands of an unseen deity based on a promise.
- Patience is one of the things I learned from Ogies, as you will see in future articles in this series. Abundance comes with waiting: Isaiah 40:31, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Why ought we to wait on the Lord? Because we trust Him. If Ogies does her own thing and runs away, what is the chance of her ending up on the dump again? But because she trusts us and wants to be with us, not even attempting to leave even if the gate is open, she has abundance. Most of our messes result from moving ahead without the Lord’s consent and support.
Along with playing ball, Ogies enjoys playing rough, i.e. playing with me like she would with another dog. She would grab my arm ever so gently while I wrestle with her, and would play tug-a-war with my finger hooked behind her canine teeth, along with all the necessary growling noises.
Another favourite is to snuggle in, lying with her head on my lap.
The point I'm making is that she makes sure she gets what she is allowed to have. If she wants to play ball, her body language is unmistakable; if she wants to play rough, she starts playing; and if she wants to snuggle in, she does. When I sit, and she lies with her head on my leg, and she senses that I'm about to get up, she presses her head down to hold me down. The other day, Ogies started to climb onto my lap. I accommodate her because I enjoy having her on my lap, even though it is sometimes inconvenient, so she feels welcome to do it. I also enjoy her compassion for me, her need to touch me and show me her love in a practical way. The Lord also accommodates you, enjoys your love for Him, and your need to show it to Him practically.
To be continued
No comments:
Post a Comment