Loving the Weak

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is to encourage you and to nourish your soul.

The other day my son Jordan came home with a stray pet. He found this dog jutting in and out of traffic, almost getting hit over and over again.

The scraggly dog had no collar, no identification. Jordan took the dog to the Humane Society only to find a "Closed" sign on the door.

He walked in the door with Scruffy in his arms and tenderness in his eyes. "Can we take care of her tonight, mom? I'll bring her to the Humane Society tomorrow."

Of course I said yes but I must admit something to you.

I'm not really an animal person. I wish I was though because it seems like such a nice thing to be. Unfortunately my over-developed sense of smell and my selfish desire for personal comfort are not conducive to having pets around - not to mention smelly, old, scraggly pets like the one Jordan brought home.

Within twenty-four hours of having this visitor invade my home, God invaded my heart once more with a fresh revelation of Himself.

Scruffy, or "Bubs" as Jordan called her seemed to be a victim of abuse. Every time I reached out to pet her, she jerked back and hovered lower to the ground appearing very afraid or ashamed. She rarely barked because she didn't seem to have the energy for it.

When she climbed the stairs her legs shook. I think she has arthritis.

When I pet her I felt sorry for her because she has coarse hair and smelly breath.

I found myself falling in love with this weak, old, smelly, sweet dog.

Yesterday morning I sat out on my deck with my Bible, my journal, and Bubs at my feet. I read about my Jesus and His radical love for the messy and the wounded. I looked down at the messy wounded animal sitting at my feet and I was instantly convicted and humbled. Ole' Bubs confronted and exposed the smallness of my heart and my low capacity for love.

I reached down to scratch her behind her ear and she scooted a little closer to me. But just a little. Trust comes slowly, I know. As silly as it sounds, I saw myself in my newfound friend. I'm more aware of my needs because of her.

I need more of Christ's love for the least of these, the marginalized, the weak, the smelly, the shakey, and the abandoned. I need to be less protective of my comforts and more protective of those whom Jesus came to save.

I understand on a deeper level that it's not enough for me to go on the occasional mission trip and to send regular money to ministries that tend to the poor and the needy.

Reaching outside of my comfort zone to the least-of-these must be a way of life for me; just as it was (and is) for Jesus.

As I stared down at this lonely old dog, I realized how selective I am with my personal space. God forgive me!

Scruffy made me aware of something else about myself...

I also need more of Christ's love in me, for me. I have areas in my own life where I shrink back in fear, where I'm slow to trust, and I have low places in my character that release more of an odor than the fragrance of Christ. I need to love me like He loves me.

We all have those hurt places in our lives. But since we're addicted to the approval and acceptance of others, we cover up our weak areas with great clothes, good jobs, and influential associations.

We need Jesus' eyes and His ears and His hands if we are going to be His messengers. We need to know and rely on His love for us if we have any hopes of giving it away.

Jesus confronts our humanity so that He might make us more divine. When we respond to His love rather than react to our own weakness, we will be transformed.

We love because He first loved us. And as our capacity for love increases, so does the Kingdom in our midst. We will become more like Him.

Instead of trying hard to love the weak, we will see the treasure of God's Kingdom in their midst and we will love out of instinct rather than duty.

Lord, God, make me more like You! Burden my heart with what burdens Yours! Forgive me for all of the times I have missed the opportunity to be Your hands and feet. Help me not be afraid to admit my need for You. Fill me with a profound love for the hungry, the weak, and the sick. May I follow in humility Your humble example of love and kindness and mercy. Make me more like You, Lord. I need You every hour. Amen.

Comments

[Yvonne]

I just found your blog recently and have really enjoyed your writing. I so identified with today's post, having had the Lord bring similar questions to my mind through similar circumstances. But I have to know, did you adopt Bubs?

[Susie Larson]

Dear Yvonne,Nice to meet you!You ask a great question about ole Bubs and the answer is...not yet!We went to the Humane Society yesterday and filed a "found dog" report. We gave them our home information in case anybody calls. We also contacted the local police and animal control and gave them our information. My husband walked in the door yesterday and Bubs ran to greet him. Kevin looked up at me and said, "Sooo, do we have a dog now?" None of us feel quite ready to surrender him. He's just so sweet.

[Karen]

Susie! Loved your post!My heart goes out to you, as I too "gave in" to having a dog. And NOW I am the one who loves it the most!David was so ill and in pain that he needed a reason to get out of bed to care for something and desired a dog. My son too had prayed for years for a dog. I had also prayed for years to have a new home...with all new carpet, hard wood floors and very clean! I had to give in.When David said, "let's just looks at these puppies" - I didn't know I would actually have the Lord whisper in my heart, as I held this shivering tiny creature, "give in...this one's yours." I did not put it down after that, until we got it home.It sounds CRAZY, but it has brought our lives SO much joy. Our dog, who Brandon named "Bear" (because it looked almost like a stuffed teddy bear) has made us all laugh and laugh. I NOW CAN'T imagine NOT having a dog!So...when we give in to that "weak one" or "thing that extracts from the desire for perfect order" in our lives, BECAUSE God brings them across our path, we must recognize when the Lord speaks - "this one's your responsibility to care for."I believe it is our OBEDIENCE to that need that propells the love of God within and His love and grace is somehow "just there" in that moment we surrender. Sometimes there is a JOY we didn't know would be there waiting. And, yes, we run the risk of messing up some of the order we like to have in our lives. BUT EVEN IF our task and giving (with some) may be thankless, God is our rewarder. We have to be like the Good Samaritan and refuse to pass the hurting by...even at risk to ourselves. They need Christ's love to still the aching deep inside so we must be willing to bind the wounds of the wounded.Well, feeling as though I have been weaker for longer than I'd perfer what you shared was a real blessing to me. I have been thankful for those rare individuals that didn't hesitate to apply Christ's love to my wound or ignore me because I'm not as strong as I used to be.Thank YOU Susie!Love, Karen

[Susie Larson]

Karen,

Thanks for sharing your story and your insights.

You are a sweet pea to be sure.

:)