Stella
There was a yelp, then we spotted two eyes peering out from under the back deck. That was when we knew our 10-year-old beagle mix, Stella, had managed to squeeze under the deck yet again, despite our best efforts to protect the young rabbit living underneath by adding additional fencing around the deck’s perimeter.
We called Stella out encouragingly, shouted at her angrily and even tried persuading her to come out with water sprayed from the hose, before eventually realizing that she was convinced she was stuck. Even though the opening had been big enough for her to get in, and we had removed a few boards so that she could get out, she was too obstinate, or perhaps too timid to come back out.
This whole ordeal made me wonder, how often are we the ones who foolishly chase after something so obviously off-limits? And once we do, can we hear God calling us back? Do we soften our hearts and humbly return as he lovingly pleads, calling us by name or do we timidly hide like the prodigal son did for so long?
At one point, we were able to get ahold of Stella’s collar, but even pulling on her wasn’t enough to get her out. She had to make the decision to come out on her own. The fact that it would ultimately be Stella’s decision to come back out to safety made me think of Luke 15, in which there are three parables in which something lost is found. While the consequences of our decisions can help us see our need to repent, we ultimately have to own the humble decision to seek forgiveness from God ourselves so that we can be fully re-united with Him.
Right before my eyes I had seen my dog portray the parable of the prodigal son. Stella ran off to a place she didn’t belong to chase things she shouldn’t have. Eventually she realized her mistake, but because of her position, she couldn’t come out, even if she did want to. Finally, her situation changed enough that she saw the benefit of returning to the ones who loved her, even if it meant admitting she had done wrong, and even facing the penalty of a bath.
As I think back on my life, I can’t help but be in awe that God not only welcomes us back but pleads longingly for us to return to Him even after we have been to places and chased after things we shouldn’t have. When someone does wrong towards us, we can so easily be offended and write people off, but God never does that to us. He loves us! He loves us like a Father loves a child, a relationship of perpetual offenses and forgiveness. And He delights in us when we follow Him!
From this experience I, and hopefully our dog, learned that limits and rules are there for a reason, to keep us safe! And that even when we are in trouble, the authority calling us back cares far more about our well-being than our error and loves us dearly.
-Maurisa Hughes
