Oh Charlie!
This weekend was so much fun for me, yet it was extremely tiring. I got to dog-sit for a friend and stay in his house for the weekend. It was so nice being able to get away from my house, although my buddy’s house is only 10 minutes away. Now, Charlie (the dog’s name) is as loving a dog as anyone could hope for. He literally looks like a stuffed animal off a shelf, so when Charlie comes around everyone seems to try and get a few hugs and kisses (or maybe that is just me).
I have wanted a dog to play with here in Nashville, but as I was taking care of Charlie, I realized that I didn’t really want all the upkeep that comes along with having an animal. He was fun to play with when I wanted to play with him, but when I was tired of playing, he was still there. He wouldn’t let me forget it either, because he kept bringing his rope bone over and laying it in my lap so I would throw it for him to go fetch or for us to play tug of war. He needed to eat and drink several times a day, and he had to poop just as much as he did eat. So as much as I loved being with him, needless to say, I got tired of him.
I wonder if Jesus ever gets tired of me. I mean, so often I go to Jesus like Charlie would come to me wanting something, to be fed, to get a drink, open up the door, etc. depending that I would come through for him and meet his needs. I did all that stuff for Charlie, but probably not at the times that Charlie wanted them. For instance, on Saturday I fed him a late breakfast at 10:00, when he usually eats around 8:00. Despite my lateness, he loved me all the same and even kissed me and hugged me before I gave him the food, and he even did it when he finished.
Sure, I know I am dependent on the Lord, like Charlie was to me, but is my dependency seen as a dog that won’t stop bothering his master? Better yet, do I praise and metaphorically hug and kiss God for all the things He gives me even when it comes later than when I wanted it? Charlie didn’t bother me all that much, but I only spent the weekend with him. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I was with him all the time. I am pretty sure I would be annoyed after a couple weeks.
But here in Mark 2:1 where we find ourselves now, Jesus walks back into Capernaum, and then in the next verse (2) it says that “immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them.” Jesus came back to them, so obviously they had to wait on His coming back, and when He did come back they went to Him. In other words, Jesus wasn’t just having to take care of one “Charlie,” there were hundreds and maybe even thousands of “Charlies” wanting and needing Jesus. However, Jesus seemed to welcome them with open arms. Obviously Jesus loved these people because He didn’t run away nor did He turn them away; He ended up feeding them (preached to them the “Word” as my Bible says).
This whole concept of waiting on God and God loving me is sometimes hard to grasp. Sure, I can sing the song Jesus Loves Me with the best of them, but do I really act like I know that Jesus loves me? If I really believed it, then I would be like Charlie was to me this weekend, and continue loving on Jesus even when I don’t get what I want, when I want it.
Maybe what I could say here to make this sound a little more spiritual is that Charlie had faith that I would take care of him; faith that I often don’t seem to have in God. How do I know that I lack faith? Because I don’t always trust and praise God when things don’t come as soon as I would want them. For crying out loud, Charlie would kiss me when I was late. He was waiting, yet in his own way he was praising me and loving me. He never wondered, to my knowledge if I had forgotten him. On second thought, maybe that is why he continually came to me with his bone; so I wouldn’t forget him. The truth is, I was there, and I didn’t forget him.
However, I have wondered before if God has forgotten about me. Have you ever thought that? Sometimes it seems like God has been in my life and then left me like He did the people of Capernaum for the first time. But as we have read on, He came back. He didn’t forget! That is so encouraging to me to know that Jesus doesn’t forget; He comes back to His people. Luckily for us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What does this mean to us? It means He won’t forget us either.
Rest in that thought for a moment. Jesus won’t forget about you. There is no need to worry about life (Read Matthew 6:25-34), He loves you. He is coming back for you. We don’t annoy Him like Charlie did me. He welcomes and wants us to come to Him as much as we so desire. Praise God.