My sister ‘s family has a dog called Gary- YES, Gary. My brother in law decided to get in first with the naming of him before the daughters took over with some kind of embarrassing name, apparently. Gary is one of a kind. I am certain that Gary thinks the earth was created for him and that people are here on earth simply to love and adore him.
Wherever Gary goes, he oozes confidence that you will love him. He has an expectation that you will. That is why you are visiting anyway, right? You came all this way to see him. Recently we laid out the picnic rug for the family to sit on and relax, and Gary promptly sat right in the centre of the rug, before the people got a chance to sit! That is how he rolls. He will greet you with his paws on your shoulders, and lick your face (if you don’t get a chance to duck for cover first). He just oozes confidence, absolutely lacks personal space or any understanding of social cues, but …hey, he is still a pup!
The thing that stays with me about Gary is I wonder how much better it could be for us, if we chose this same attitude of confidence when we pray. If we simply realised how much we are loved, remember that we are adored, that our heavenly father longs to bless us. What if we just expect that love to be there, and like a little child (or a very large puppy) ooze confidence, boldness and anticipation? Food for thought… What is it that stops us? What holds us back? Of course, there is something that stops us from having this confidence. Its our sin. That will always come between us and God. There is a way though, if we receive the love that Jesus has given us. He has fully 100% paid the price for our sin when he died on the cross and rose again. If we can receive this love, then we can absolutely run into the arms of God in prayer.
I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. John 3:16