Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

Touchy Feely

This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe!
I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God!
How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking
about me constantly!
Psalm 139: 6-7, 17 (TLB)

When our big ninety-seven pound Bo went to dog heaven we found someone to take his place pretty quickly -- twenty-nine pound Wesley Gillham. I generally call him "Wes." I know that a "second name" is necessary at times in all of our lives, so in place of a second name I just say "Wes-ley" in a certain tone of voice with appropriate body language and he knows he better pay close attention. Wesley is a "pound" dog. But then, Bo was a pound dog; Esther was picked up wandering the streets of Oklahoma City; Dutch was a pound dog; Grundoon, Zeke, Friend, Gretchen, and all the others just found us -- instead of the "pound" finding them.

But back to Wesley. The first time I took Wes to see Dr. Tierce, who had cared for Bo almost fourteen years, he looked at Wesley and said, "You'll be sorry." I know now what he meant. Bo hung so loose and wasn't out to impress anyone. Wes is wound up tighter than a spring and has a macho hang-up that you wouldn't believe!

He has quite a bit of Jack Russell in him and a friend sent me a Jack Russell book -- forewarning me maybe about his love for digging, his amazing ability to jump, and his hyperactive syndromes. But one of the characteristics of this critter is that he will choose one person from the pack and attach himself to that person. Wes attached himself to me -- Anabel. He sits on my foot, leans against my leg, sits by my chair, gets eye contact and asks my permission to go outside, reminds me when it's time to eat, and stations himself as close to me as he can get no matter where I am. (When I'm working a jigsaw puzzle he's lying under the table and will eat the piece that carelessly falls on the floor!) But I thrive on his attention! To be loved that much is really pretty nice. God fixed that breed real good -- they are touchy/feely creatures.

Most people are touchy/feely, too. Some of them have to "learn" to be touchy/feely, but once they experience it, they love it. You know, I think God is a touchy/feely God. He never lets me out of his sight, He goes wherever I go, He holds my hand constantly no matter where we are, when I go walking He goes with me, He enjoys "talking" to me -- He just loves to be with me. That may be difficult for someone to accept because they have never been loved that way, but if they will admit it, they would like to at least try it. It's really very nice to have someone love you that much.

Well, God is ready to "choose you out of the pack." Are you ready to be loved that fiercely? Are you ready for that kind of loyalty? Can you handle that "eye-to-eye" contact when He's reminding you of something important? Will His being so close bother you?

What a magnificent, incredible relationship to have with this touchy/feely God of our universe!