Down like a dog

The other day I came into the family room, and my wife was watching a movie. For some strange reason I decided to stretch out on the floor instead of throwing her out of my recliner. In hindsight, it was probably a good move. Except for one thing - we now have a dog. Yes, a dog. A large-mouthed Lab, to be exact. She is laying near me adoring me even as I type. Her name is Sienna. We got her used and that was already her name. I'm thinking of changing her name to "Bob." I'll let you know how that goes.

Anyway, once I hit the floor, I must have set off some kind of dog alarm because Sienna came bounding into the room all excited. I was now in her territory. I'm fine with that - she can own all the floor in my house as far as I'm concerned, I just would have liked to have known it was hers. She absolutely tackled me. She's a good 90 pounds, so I was not unaware that I had been tackled. And there was the tongue! Wow - she was so thrilled that I had come into her special world to play and love on her.

I love this crazy poop factory of a dog, so I joined right into her joy in seconds. I wrassled her around and pushed and pulled and had a fun time. And I tried to keep her tongue off of my face, but that didn't go as I had hoped and she lavished her affection on me in the form of doggy kisses. I felt like an honorary dog for a time, and she finally calmed down a bit and stretched out next to me with her head on my chest. It was a picture of everything that is right about owning a dog. And in Chas fashion, it stirred a spiritual truth in me.

Jesus did the same thing. No, he did NOT lay down to play with my dog. Although I think the two of them will get along just fine, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is - just as Sienna felt I had entered her own little world when I got down on the floor, Jesus entered our world when he came in human form. To my dog, there can be no greater way of showing love than to get down where she can love on me and play with me. As a sinner, dead and drifting, there can be no greater way for God to show his love than to send his son into our world. And just as I got up covered in dog hair and dog slobber, Jesus had to come in contact with our sin in order to make the connection complete.

Isn't it amazing? God so loved the world. Not just a pretty slogan.