The Rescue
For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17
Well, we had planned to head back to the house and watch a movie, but an hour and a half later, we still had not made it inside. A crazy and energetic dog had conquered our street and as I sat in the car, terrified because of previous dog experiences, my brother and friend eagerly jumped out to help the other neighbors to catch him. The events that followed were literally bizarre. And while I cannot even begin to explain them in words, I can tell you that a 90 minute adventure played out right before my eyes on the other side of the window.
We first encountered Eddie, this spunky boxer, on our way to pick up a movie. We thought it was odd he was roaming the streets alone and were even more thrown off by his strange behavior. He circled the car multiple times and looked to be very distraught. We figured though, partially because he would not let us near him, that it would be best to just let him be and hope that he would discover his way home.
Upon our return, a half hour later, we kept our eyes peeled for this white dog! We hoped he would be home by now and no longer wandering the streets. But, he still was wandering around almost aimlessly. This began the lengthy ordeal of getting Eddie home safely.
Determination had the three "rescuers" coming up with every scheme possible to lure the dog. They threw tennis balls, shouted his name, knelt down and called him closer, and patted their legs hoping he would follow. Even when his owner returned home, Eddie was not compliant. This dog had other things on his mind besides heading home. He ran the streets, sometimes in circles, almost seeming to have no real sense of direction. And as I watched them follow a random dog up and down the street in the cool night air, I knew they would do everything it took to get Eddie home.
Eddie was just a stranger's dog. These three people who fought off distraught neighbors and contacted animal control for help, had no real reason to fight for Eddie, he was not their dog. He was not even a dog they had ever seen before. But they saw that he was helpless. He was confused and could not figure out where he was or how to get home. If strangers can do that for a dog, that very well could have held no importance to them, how much more does our Father seek to help us?
I think sometimes we can all be a little bit like Eddie. Maybe you feel like that now, or did in the past, or will in the future. How many times do we wander the streets aimlessly? How often do we get lost along the way? We run in circles. We turn our backs on home. And because the thought of "freedom" offers us so much excitement we get confused about what we really want!
But like Eddie was shepherded towards home, we have a God who is constantly calling us back to the path He calls us to. I think sometimes we consider God as a stranger or wonder why He would call us home. We think it has to be some sort of trap! But I can tell you that as much fun as it seemed like Eddie was having running loose, I saw something change in him the moment a lasso invention was able to get him back into a leash. There was a comfort that took over in his demeanor. And even though, they pretty much had to drag him home, I have a feeling it felt good for him to rest in the safety of his house that night.
I cannot say that at the moment I was confirmed as a Catholic, I knew without a doubt that I was indeed Catholic. I think it's something that you kind of grow into fully as the Holy Spirit moves you! But, with the chance to kind of wander the streets, I have experienced several different types of events at churches of different faiths in the past week. Nothing was wrong with any of these experiences, they were all lovely and I did encounter God but I still felt as if I was kind of wandering. I think I felt a little like Eddie because, it was not home for me. And it hits me in moments like those that I am indeed Catholic. I need the reminders of where home is in the Sacraments. I need to be reigned in by Reconciliation. I need to taste home in the Eucharist. I look to models for my own life in the saints and Mary. And I need to see and touch and adore the real presence of God. The Catholic faith is like the "rescuers" and Christ is at the center.
A million times, those people could have given up on that dog. They could have gone on with their night, gone inside and watched their movie. But they didn't. And the thing is, God will not just move on without you either. He is going to keep fighting and keep trying and keep sending people to help guide you home. He is not going to give up on you ever. Not until you're home. So you can run from Him, deny that you need His help and dodge every tossing of the lasso. But Eddie proved to me this, determination is key. And our God is determined.
God is determined to capture your heart. He is determined to guide you home. And like the strangers were with Eddie, He is determined to help you even when you do not think you need His help. When you taste a glimpse of what home is for you, hang onto it with all your heart and find ways to run back to it. And trust that when you get lost on your way, God will have a way of bringing you back. He will come to the rescue.
Let Him lead you. Let Him come to the
rescue through your faith. Let Him guide you home.
Revelation 7:17
Well, we had planned to head back to the house and watch a movie, but an hour and a half later, we still had not made it inside. A crazy and energetic dog had conquered our street and as I sat in the car, terrified because of previous dog experiences, my brother and friend eagerly jumped out to help the other neighbors to catch him. The events that followed were literally bizarre. And while I cannot even begin to explain them in words, I can tell you that a 90 minute adventure played out right before my eyes on the other side of the window.
We first encountered Eddie, this spunky boxer, on our way to pick up a movie. We thought it was odd he was roaming the streets alone and were even more thrown off by his strange behavior. He circled the car multiple times and looked to be very distraught. We figured though, partially because he would not let us near him, that it would be best to just let him be and hope that he would discover his way home.
Upon our return, a half hour later, we kept our eyes peeled for this white dog! We hoped he would be home by now and no longer wandering the streets. But, he still was wandering around almost aimlessly. This began the lengthy ordeal of getting Eddie home safely.
Determination had the three "rescuers" coming up with every scheme possible to lure the dog. They threw tennis balls, shouted his name, knelt down and called him closer, and patted their legs hoping he would follow. Even when his owner returned home, Eddie was not compliant. This dog had other things on his mind besides heading home. He ran the streets, sometimes in circles, almost seeming to have no real sense of direction. And as I watched them follow a random dog up and down the street in the cool night air, I knew they would do everything it took to get Eddie home.
Eddie was just a stranger's dog. These three people who fought off distraught neighbors and contacted animal control for help, had no real reason to fight for Eddie, he was not their dog. He was not even a dog they had ever seen before. But they saw that he was helpless. He was confused and could not figure out where he was or how to get home. If strangers can do that for a dog, that very well could have held no importance to them, how much more does our Father seek to help us?
I think sometimes we can all be a little bit like Eddie. Maybe you feel like that now, or did in the past, or will in the future. How many times do we wander the streets aimlessly? How often do we get lost along the way? We run in circles. We turn our backs on home. And because the thought of "freedom" offers us so much excitement we get confused about what we really want!
But like Eddie was shepherded towards home, we have a God who is constantly calling us back to the path He calls us to. I think sometimes we consider God as a stranger or wonder why He would call us home. We think it has to be some sort of trap! But I can tell you that as much fun as it seemed like Eddie was having running loose, I saw something change in him the moment a lasso invention was able to get him back into a leash. There was a comfort that took over in his demeanor. And even though, they pretty much had to drag him home, I have a feeling it felt good for him to rest in the safety of his house that night.
I cannot say that at the moment I was confirmed as a Catholic, I knew without a doubt that I was indeed Catholic. I think it's something that you kind of grow into fully as the Holy Spirit moves you! But, with the chance to kind of wander the streets, I have experienced several different types of events at churches of different faiths in the past week. Nothing was wrong with any of these experiences, they were all lovely and I did encounter God but I still felt as if I was kind of wandering. I think I felt a little like Eddie because, it was not home for me. And it hits me in moments like those that I am indeed Catholic. I need the reminders of where home is in the Sacraments. I need to be reigned in by Reconciliation. I need to taste home in the Eucharist. I look to models for my own life in the saints and Mary. And I need to see and touch and adore the real presence of God. The Catholic faith is like the "rescuers" and Christ is at the center.
A million times, those people could have given up on that dog. They could have gone on with their night, gone inside and watched their movie. But they didn't. And the thing is, God will not just move on without you either. He is going to keep fighting and keep trying and keep sending people to help guide you home. He is not going to give up on you ever. Not until you're home. So you can run from Him, deny that you need His help and dodge every tossing of the lasso. But Eddie proved to me this, determination is key. And our God is determined.
God is determined to capture your heart. He is determined to guide you home. And like the strangers were with Eddie, He is determined to help you even when you do not think you need His help. When you taste a glimpse of what home is for you, hang onto it with all your heart and find ways to run back to it. And trust that when you get lost on your way, God will have a way of bringing you back. He will come to the rescue.
Let Him lead you. Let Him come to the
rescue through your faith. Let Him guide you home.
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