Do You Trust?

Charlie, our dog, received a Christmas present from Sarah, our daughter Tammi’s dog. His tail was beating a rhythm against the wall as I helped him unwrap it … Pup-Peroni sticks. He danced around the room as I ripped the top of the package off. Now he could smell it and his enthusiasm grew.

Let me set the stage for what happened next.

Apparently as I walked on the carpet, rubbed against the wrapper as I took the paper off and then slid my hand around on the package … I created an electric charge in my hand. I removed one stick from the package, held it toward Charlie and he grabbed for it with his mouth. I heard the spark of electricity as he yipped and jumped backward. It had shocked him.

He no longer trusts me. 

 

When I hold a treat out for him, he paces the floor and makes little growling noises at me. I say, “It’s alright Charlie” but he doesn’t believe me. I repeatedly assure him that the treat is his for the taking … and there are no consequences … but he paces and mumbles.

We, as human beings, are just like that. We’ve been burned by someone we trusted and so refuse to trust again. Perhaps it was an intentional act toward us … or maybe that other person intended no harm. But the result was painful to us emotionally.

And so we refuse to trust again.

Just as Charlie missed out on a treat due to his lack of trust, we miss out on many blessings as we protect ourselves. Yes, we may get burned again. But what about all the treats we miss out on as we pace and mumble about the wrongs that have been done to us?

Do you trust?

“God makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet.” Psalm 103:6 (MSG)

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Do You Believe It?

Black Friday shopping has now spilled over onto Thanksgiving Day. The news is full of stories about the shoving and screaming … the grabbing and wrestling … over a Christmas present purchase. Last year someone actually died in the stampede to be first in line.

In all that noise and chaos it’s hard to believe it … the reason for Christmas.

Today is the first day back to school … after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook School. Teachers, secretaries, counselors, janitors … and students … enter their school filled with fear. The sound of a book falling to the floor will cause repercussions for anyone hearing that noise. Some may even throw themselves to the floor ... a knee jerk reaction to the sound of gunfire.

With all that fear and high anxiety it’s hard to believe it … the reason for Christmas.

I refuse to do the Black Friday thing. Nothing is that important to me to brave that carnage to make a purchase. And I have no little kids headed out to school this morning. But I do have a daughter that is standing in a classroom as I write these words. I know she would give her life for her students. My heart is broken for the families touched by this recent tragedy.

With all the crying and clinging going on it’s hard to believe it … the reason for Christmas.

But as a Christ-follower, I do believe it. That little baby born in Bethlehem came for a reason … to give us hope and peace. Above all the chaos and grief is love … God’s love. And as a believer, it is up to me to show that love with skin on. If I could, I would hold all the wounded hearts close. But since I can’t, then today I will be very aware of people I come in contact with. If they need love with skin on, I’ll be there.

Jesus is the reason. Do you believe it?

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” John 3:16 (MSG)

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