My dogs are funny!

     I have 2 dogs.  Buddy is a large 125 pound mix of German Shepard, Akita, and Yellow Lab.  Henry is a medium sized 50 pound Blue Heeler.  They are both 12 going on 13.  While they have many attributes that are the same; they also have attributes that make them very different.  Buddy is our "watcher" while Henry is our "herder."  Buddy is our first dog.  He was a rescue dog and is afraid of the water and won't go into a bathroom.  When we first acquired him we were amazed at his energy as he bounced off the walls and drove us nuts.  Henry is our third dog.  He was being replaced with a baby so the people sold him to us.  Henry replaced our Cocoa who was a Husky.  They have been with us a very long time and have trained us to their pleasures.  How did that happen?  Buddy has become an old man who demands his schedule be met at the same time every day.  He also has the habit of laying down in such a way that you cannot go past him without either making him move or going over him.  Henry too has his quirks.  He is like Velcro!  Wherever you are; there he is.  It's not enough to be in the same room but he has to be right beside you or in your lap.  Yeah, I know, a 50 pound lap dog!
     I'm no different.  Except for the lap dog thing.  I am set in my ways and my day has "markers" to show that I'm on track, doing what I'm supposed to do and what's next.  Should my day be interrupted, I'm thrown for a loop.  Getting back on track can prove rather challenging.  It would seem that Murphy lives with me.  Not in the same city or neighborhood, but right there beside me.  It's become such a common event that I actually laugh at Murphy and his tricks.  I know what I need to do and for the most part do just that.  Whenever Murphy throws a wrench in the works, I sigh, maybe say a few words or at least think them, and resign myself to deal with the ramifications of the event.  When I look at Scripture and see that life is just what Jesus said it would be, my tolerance for Murphy or other things don't bother me as much.  Jesus said that we would be aliens in this world as Heaven was our home.  He also said that we would be in opposition to the world we live in and among the people who live with us.  We are told to have a life that so shows the world Jesus and doesn't show the world Steve.  I'm afraid I haven't been so good at that all the time.  However, I have moments when everything clicks.  When that happens, peace settles on me and life is good.
     My dogs sense the changes in my moods and react accordingly.  I tend to go to bed about 9 in the evening.  Whenever I go to bed later they become agitated.  Why?  Because after I go to bed my wife shares her night time popcorn with them!  The popcorn doesn't come into play until after I leave the room.  When I leave the room they yelp and bark, dance around and generally say, "Thank God he's gone!"  I'm glad my wife doesn't say that.  My dogs are funny.  Henry tends to get into trouble from time to time.  He tries to please us but there are certain times when temptation gets the best of him.  Hmmm...sounds like me!  When I discover the "event" I can always find Henry head down, tail not wagging, and looks of "I'm sorry." written all over his face.  Sometimes he has that look when I haven't had the opportunity to discover the misdeed first.  Then I go and search for the misdeed.  God does this with me in much the same way.  Though he knows my life intimately from before I was conceived until forever; he waits for me to be honest about my choices.  He waits patiently for me to confess and ask for forgiveness.  Then he pats me on the head and we move on with life. 
     My dogs and I don't know why God created cats other than to be chased.  Perhaps that is their place in life?!  Squirrels, rabbits, deer, birds, and other living creatures are chased more for fun than for food or danger.  I don't think either of my dogs are capable of protecting us from actual live threats.  Buddy would probably open the door for the burglar and Henry would ask the burglar if he could do anything for him.  So, we lock our doors when we are gone.  We know that they will not do what we would like them to do.  God does the same thing.  He knows we are unable to live sin free and so he makes a way out.  He tells us that he makes every day new.  He tells us that he forgives us our sins and remembers them no more.  God always makes a way for us to be in his good grace.  How wonderful is that?!  We love our dogs and encourage them to have a good relationship with us.  That means that even when they do something that is funny we look beyond the act and love them for who they are.  That doesn't mean we don't let them have their consequences.  We are there before, during and after the event.  Just like Jesus.  We must be so funny to God sometimes!