My dogs ran away!

     This is the second time they have run away from my new home.  In all fairness I did leave a gate open in the back of the property.  Is that all it takes for a dog to escape?  Apparently that and a sunny day!  They did come home a couple of hours later dragging their tails between their legs.  They too can feel the guilt of doing what they have or have not done.  Cats just don't care either way.  Dogs depend upon their acceptance by their owner and anyone else they come in contact with.  You need to know that I'm no "dog whisperer" and I cannot fix their psychological problems.  What I can do is pet them, feed them and play with them.  They like that.  That's why I'm so puzzled about why they run off.  My guess is they are running to something rather than away from something or someone.
     People aren't much different.  At least I'm not much different.  I have it good.  Even with all of my valid complaints I have it good.  Food in my belly, shelter over my head, and God to take care of all my needs.  Every time I ran away I thought I had good reason.  I didn't.  Sometimes I ran away from and sometimes I ran to.  Like my dogs, my running off affects those who are around me.  When I have ran physically (or geographically) away my friends, family and even my enemies were affected.  he same applies to psychologically running away.  Sometimes the effect on others has been what damaged or destroyed a relationship.  Never, did running away solve any of my problems.  Not once  have I learned enough to not run away again. 
     When I stop to think about this running away; it's clear that there is a form of manipulation going on.  While it's difficult to see my dogs as manipulative, the same cannot be same about human beings.  Dogs are able to lick a hand, wag their tail, and be back to where they left off.  Humans are different.  They are complex with their processes.  Unlike dogs, there is a need to be understood and loved even when we are bad.  I was once told this:  "If you every doubt who loves you more, put your significant other and your dog in the trunk of your car for a couple of hours.  Then open the trunk and see who is happy to see you!"
     God tells us that he sees us coming back while we are far away and runs out to meet us.  He arranges a party to celebrate your and my coming home.  He knows as we know that home with him is the only good place to run to.  When we do come home God is ready to forgive us.  Not like humans forgive (or don't forgive) with conditional love but with godly love.  Why would he do this for us?  Why would he do this for anyone?  Why would he do this time and time again when we run away?  The simple answer is we are loved by him without condition.  He doesn't like it when we run away (our action) but loves us as his creation.  Wherever you or I go, we can never get out of the reach of God's love.
     My dogs came home.  How could I not love them.  I didn't love what they did.  I do love them for who they are.  I wish my life had been in this order from when my life began.  However, my life was marked for those I ran away from as well as those who ran away from me.  After all, we are not God.  Yet, we should live our lives so that no one runs away from God or us.  It's a difficult task to take our eyes off of ourselves and allow God to use us to do his will in the lives of those around us.  Our dogs and sometimes even cats can teach us the simplest piece of who we are to be.  I still don't want to see them run away.  Just as Jesus doesn't want to watch us run away.