We recently got two brand new puppies. We got them from a shelter. One is a male Chihuahua about 6 pounds and is brown in color. The other is a Chihuahua Dachshund mix female and weighs about 7 pounds.
Their names are Lucy and Desi and they are adorable. When we first got them home, they were reluctant to accept freedom beyond the four cage walls they had recently been released from. They would not venture out from the patio whose cement foundation felt familiar to their most recent home.
Within a couple of days, they had the run of the yard. They quickly adapted to "house rules" and knew certain things were off limits and they quickly picked sides. Lucy runs in the house, jumps on the bed and snuggles in next to my husband. As a daily routine, Desi crawl under the sheets and settles in at my feet.
We love our little puppies (6 months old) but we have had to say "no" on more than one occasion. Thankfully, we have not had any accidents in the house in a couple of weeks. They are settling into a routine. However, when that routine changes, we have to address it.
The other day I spent the entire day weeding and re-doing our flower beds in one corner. It is the corner where our much loved dogs Sammy and Daisy are buried. I was meticulous in maintaining that area. I planted new plants and added new soil and mulch. I placed a new painted rock with their names on the site. I was really proud of the work and felt sure they would have liked it.
I then went inside often peeking out the window to make sure Desi and Lucy stayed away. Three days later, when my husband and I walked outside, I saw it! I saw what my precious puppies had done.
No longer did I have blooms, all the flowers were gone from my two Hisbiscus plants. The other flowers I had planted were completely gone and the area where I had planted soil and mulch was dug down to the root of the tree that stands in that corner.
I was not happy and I let those pups know it! They both made a bee line for the patio table and hid so that I could not reach them. I gave them a good scolding! I was mad! Period! I had put alot of time into that corner and in minutes they destroyed it.
I went back, collected the destroyed flowers, filled the holes in with soil and added mulch but I was still mad at these pups. Lucy eventually came out and I scolded her again which led her to a more gentle voice, my husband. I think I felt the offense more because I gave up more! I put hours into this project!
I hoped they had learned their lesson. We went to have lunch with my family and when we returned guess what I found.....it wasn't enough that they took my flowers, they had now gnawed my hibiscus plant and had gotten into the bag of soil. Beyond mad! I went inside.
When the time came, I asked my husband if he was going to let them inside. He said "yes, only because I don't want to disrupt their routine." he let them in and Desi immediately took his place under the sheets by my feet but to my surprise, instead of going to m husband, Lucy also went under the covers and rested at my side.
This tugged at my heart and prompted me to say to my husband "I hope they know I do not hate them, I hate what they did."
Yup! I said it and yes I thought it. God does not "hate" us when we sin. He hates the sin. Day after day we do things that go against the will of God. I often make the same mistakes. All though I said it, I can't imagine God saying "You continue to do wrong because it didn't cost you what it cost me." The loving God I serve would not say that he would simply say "You are forgiven."
I hope my puppies know that I hated what they did...I still love them. And I hope this is a lesson to us that God hates the sin...not the sinner.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" John 1:29
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