It all started with Poo....

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13

The other morning I was taking our two, un-groomed, but well loved, shipoos for their morning walk. In the past when I would walk our dogs, if they went to the rest room, and I could leave it before someone saw us…I confess, I would walk away. I know! It’s ok to judge me. I judge me too.

Recently though I have been growing in respecting other’s property when it comes to my dog’s “business” if you will. However, there is this one home in our neighborhood with feral cats running around, with a yard that isn’t as well maintained as everyone else’s, and well, if I am honest, the thought crossed my mind when our littlest puppy went to the restroom in their yard, I kinda told myself it would be ok to leave her mess there. They wouldn’t notice. We could always blame it on their cats. And more than that, they are disrespecting everyone else by allowing their cats to have the run of the neighborhood with no respect for anyone else’s wishes.

Well wouldn’t you know it, as God usually does in the stillness, He revealed a mighty truth: it doesn’t matter what those people do. It is my job as a representative of Him to show the same dignity and respect to this family and their property as I would show someone I found more “deserving” in my mind. 

Sometimes the ugliness is too much. But as we get to know one another you will find that I am nothing if not honest. Transparent to a fault at times. But a sinner loved by Jesus-and for that I will forever celebrate. 

Anyway, after I allowed that truth to resonate in my mind for a moment I went to the area our dog had gone to the bathroom. I very casually glanced around the area I thought she had gone, didn’t see anything, so I walked away. And then…

WHAM!

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”

Say what Lord? 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.” 

Now I know that God was not teaching me about my dogs bowel movement. But in that moment something crazy occurred to me! Had I really cared I could have done a thorough search of the area to find where my dog had gone to the restroom and cleaned up the mess. But I didn’t seek it out…not really. I glanced around half heartedly. Didn’t see anything. And so I moved on and continued with my walk. 

And I believe that is what so many of us have done, or do, with God. We wonder where He is. We say we want to learn about him. Discover what this whole faith thing is about. What following Jesus really means in this life. 

So we take a quick glance around for God. If we don’t see him in that brief moment of glancing, we move on away from Him.

So my encouragement to you would be this: Seek Him! Don’t glance around for God. SEEK HIM!

He is a promise KEEPER, and He says if we seek Him with our whole hearts, we will find Him.