So, I am babysitting a friend's dogs this week. I've done this before so I didn't foresee any problems. Presumptuous of me. Katie didn't want to eat on Wednesday. I assume she was mad at her owners because they dared go on a holiday without her. I finally got her to eat by hand feeding her some of the dog food. Her companions (two cocker-poodles) decided they wanted to be hand-fed, too. Spoiled stubborn dogs.
The first evening, they didn't want to come into the house for the night. Katie wouldn't come near me. You'd think I was a complete stranger (she'd forgotten I fed her that morning). She literally would not come close to the house. If I moved toward her, she'd back away. The little cockers kept running back and forth, in and out of the doorway and I couldn't get any of them to come in and stay. So, I took some handy dandy dog biscuits and coaxed the cockers inside. Katie wasn't buying my friendship. She stood aloof. Far away from the patio. She didn't know me well enough to trust me, I suppose. Finally, I threw her a dog-biscuit. She ate that one, then came closer for the next one. Then I finally got her close enough to grab her collar. She followed right along with me.
By the time I had them all corralled, gave them their peanut-butter and cracker treat for the night, I was plum worn out. That next morning, I spent a great deal of time, petting, and pampering them. I even went so far as to feed the cockers by hand. One piece of food at a time until they began eating what was in their bowls. Last night they came right inside the house. They eagerly ate their treats and settled down at my feet.
I considered how God works in our lives like that.
He wants to give us food, and we walk away or turn up our noses at His offerings. We don't want any of that stuff. We stay far enough out of His reach that He has to use a bevy of techniques to gain our trust in Him. He wants the very best for us but we, in our stubbornness, remain aloof. We can't trust Him...we don't know Him well enough. He knows we are not comfortable with this new situation in our lives. He knows what we need to bring us closer--to build a better relationship with Him. The more we get to know Him, the easier it is to come to Him for sustaining grace and provision for our souls. Sometimes He simply lets us go to ourselves till we are so hungry for what He has, we surrender. God is patient enough to wait till we grow confident in our relationship to turn to Him in faith. He does not force Himself upon us. He wants us to rely on Him, trust in Him, and let Him care for us as He sees best.
Do you have someone in your life who stands aloof? at a distance, wary--but still staring, watching from the peripheral edges of your life? How do you reach someone like this? selahV
