Kramer - HomeWord - July 28, 2016

Kramer
This devotional was written by Linda Vujnov

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. —Psalm 117:2

Kramer lived a reckless life before we met him. His evenings were consumed with dodging unbalanced toddlers desperate to grab his fur, escaping coyotes during late night searches for shelter and eating meals scavenged from overturned food containers, I imagine. He has always been too ashamed to share the details. When he arrived at the animal shelter, he was underweight at 10 pounds and his enormous under bite and duck footed paws made him undesirable. Since he needed a family and our teenage son is a sap for the unsightly, we brought Kramer home. I needed more coaxing after our initial encounter though. His bad teeth and irritable growl at the moment I tried to pick him up reinforced my decision to keep my distance. “I do not like him,” I announced. “He is too small, and he’s ugly.” My criticisms cut through the heart of our youngest child, but the dog’s psyche was unharmed. I’ve been known to carelessly speak my mind.

Kramer immediately accepted our family and made a home for himself atop our couch cushion that offered a perfect view of the threatening, outside world. Although he hated being picked up, he stole every opportunity to settle into any available lap and sleep away the day and surprisingly, I was beginning to like him.

As we grew accustomed to each other, his faults began to expose themselves. His unnerving habit of “marking” his territory all over the house quickly became a nuisance especially after we had the carpets cleaned and he found it necessary to repeat the marking process. After fits of frustration from cleaning and sanitizing, I would settle in an overstuffed chair and Kramer would curl up in my lap, breathe a heavy sigh and steal my heart again. Overlooking this annoying practice was almost instantaneous since his affection was so abundant. I was instantly reminded of God’s unrelenting love for me and the fact that He is never disappointed with my behaviors. God knows my mess ups and mistakes before they happen. He is in no way surprised by my missteps or misgivings.

God saw every sin before it was committed and yet sent His Son as a sacrifice; a replacement for our unsightly sin. His love for us runs deep and his affection stretches wide. So jump up, heave a sigh, and curl up in the lap of your wonderful Savior. Christ, too, takes pleasure in our affection for Him for we are His beloved.

Kramer continues to annoy me, but thankfully for him, I have a short memory.

GOING DEEPER:

1. What keeps you from accepting God’s love and forgiveness?

2. How can you show affection for God today?

FURTHER READING:

Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 3:18-19