Life has a way of kicking us around. By adulthood, most of us have emotional scars. Those scars cloud the way we view the world and God. Wounding’s make trust difficult.
A man told a story about his wife’s love of dogs. They lived outside of town where people dumped their pets, and inevitably, those strays would find their way to his home. His wife would take them inside, give them flea baths, comfy beds, and yummy treats. She spared no effort or expense to ensure they felt loved and cared for as she worked to rehome them. He said they would flourish under her tender ministrations. Dogs, like people, can’t thrive without love.
But occasionally, a dog would be too anxious to come inside. Whatever trauma it had experienced before arriving caused it to be fearful and mistrustful. The dog-loving woman would leave food and water out; so, they stuck around. But despite her best efforts, those dogs would hide under the bushes and growl when she tried to coax them inside.
I find that so sad. Those poor, traumatized dogs were just a few feet from doggie nirvana, but they were too afraid to be loved. Their basic needs were met, so they probably thought they were doing okay, but okay isn’t great. Okay is just okay.
I meet a lot of Believers who are doing okay. Somewhere along the way they heard about Jesus, said a prayer, and camped out under the bushes. Every Sunday, and sometimes on Wednesdays, they go to church and get a pan of food. But making themselves at home in the Father’s love is not on their radar.
I used to be the same way. Life had kicked me around so badly that by the time I became a Believer, I couldn’t imagine a God of love or conceive He could love someone like me.
Jesus said, “the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I’ve come so you can have life and life more abundantly.” One of the things the thief has stolen is our view of God as a loving Father. We can’t have abundant life if we don’t know we are loved. We don’t thrive in the bushes; we just survive.
The Father’s love is not hidden. The Bible says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them.” And, “He (God) rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” That doesn’t sound like He’s counting our failures or mad at us.
Scriptures like that have convinced me it’s safe to come out from under the bushes. I’m making myself at home in the Father’s love. It’s safe and warm. That invitation is extended to the whole world. It’s what Jesus died to give us.
Brennan Manning says it best, “The awesome love of our invisible God has become both visible and audible in Jesus Christ, the glory of the only Son filled with enduring love.” So, take it from me, a former bush dweller, your Heavenly Father really does love you. Now, come inside and enjoy.
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