Seeking His Love

 I've never been one of those persons who goes wild about animals.  I was perfectly content living most of my life without any furry companions. It wasn't until about 6 years ago that we got our very first family pet.  And to me, Link, our cute little Cockapoo, is my very, very first.  I grew up afraid of dogs, actually...so it took me 20 years of marriage and 2 boys begging for one to finally say yes to a dog.

Today, Link is my faithful companion, especially now that I've been working from home...he is my buddy, always sitting by my feet.  I think he does love me.  He follows me everywhere around the house.  He looks sad when I leave and he seems to rejoice when I come back.  I think he genuinely loves me.  That is so hard to believe...how could he love me?  I am not really lovable.  I'm not a warm-touchy-feely-fuzzy-wuzzy-lovey-dovey type of person.  I'm more of a distant-detached-boring-no fus type of pet owner/person. But for some reason, Link seems to feel a strong attachment toward me.  

It is fascinating.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I am seriously attached to Link too.  Much to my surprise, that dog has stolen a piece of my heart.  But, I often wonder how dogs sense love.  They don't seem to need many manifestations of it to grow attached to a person.  How does that work?  I think about me as a human being, and I realize that I am very needy.  I am very sensitive to those around me and I need to know they love me.  I need visible manifestations of their love toward me in order for me to feel at peace.  I believe I'm not the only human who is like that either.  Even in a house with 3 boys, they let me know when they are feeling neglected by me.  They seek constant reassurance of my affection.  If I were to yell at Grant the way I sometimes yell at Link, his soul would shatter in a million pieces...but Link seems unaffected...how's that possible?  I think dogs have developed some sort of sixth sense that allows them to perceive affection even if it is not fully/outwardly demonstrated...I'm totally making this up, but I'll run with it...LOL! 

For humans, feeling loved is a most profound need.  Without love, we get messed up.  And for importantly, for us to feel loved, it requires a clear perception.  How often do we have misconceptions of whether others love us or not?  How often de we NOT feel loved? Sigh...

God knows this.  He created us to love and to be loved.  Therefore, we are commanded to do just that.  When asked what the greatest commanded was, Jesus replied:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 37-40

God knows that without love, we are empty vessels.  He also knows that often, life doesn't unfold the way we had hoped...so...as Christians, we are to help fill the void of loneliness in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Our first love is God; but right afterwards is our fellow humans.  We are supposed to be the material manifestations of God's love for each other while on this Earth.  By becoming the hands and feet of The Heavenly Father here in the world, we bring His love with us so people around us do not feel abandoned...we cannot manage life without the warmth of love...so, as the Holy Spirit overflows our cup, we must remember to spill out on those around us.

The problem is that sometimes we don't feel that love ourselves...how can we give what we don't have, right? That's why this Advent Season I want to seek the evidence of God's love as I love Him with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind...so I can receive His love as I love Him...so I can pour it out in His Name. And, since He loved us first, I enter this seeking already knowing I am dearly loved by Him.

As I seek His Love, I want to remember, that not much unlike Link, I don't need to have the fuzzy-wuzzy-lovey-dovey manifestations of God's love in order to rest assured that He does love me, so much, as to send His Only Son to die for me, so I could believe and have the promise of an eternity with Him.  I really do not need any more proof, do I? But, I know, that in seeking Him, I won't be able to help finding more evidence of the constancy and abundance of His love.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, the Lover of Our Souls.  Amen!