LOVE BETTER CAMP

by Linda Dominique Grosvenor
www.LindaDominiqueGrosvenor.com

I was sitting at my laptop going through emails when I heard a neighbor yelling in the courtyard. When I stood up to peek through the blinds to see what all of the excitement was about, I expected to see him standing toe to toe with someone his age, a male friend, a spouse and as my eyes narrowed, I prayed that it wasn’t a child. When I looked closer he was holding a dog leash and scolding his dog. The dog was brown, friendly looking and his size was somewhere between medium and full grown dog. His owner was yanking on the chain and yelling, “You’re not a puppy anymore!” And as I peered out the window watching the downward motion of the dog’s tail, I couldn’t help but feel saddened, not because I knew that the dog didn’t understand a word he was saying. Not because he was probably in a bad mood and his mood had nothing to do with the dog he was taking it out on. But I was saddened because I wondered how I would feel if God were like that. I wondered how many times the Master would give me to get it right before He started yelling at me in front of other people, yanking on me and throwing thunderbolts at my feet. Would He size me up and measure my age to my behavior and demean me by telling me that I’m too old to still be going through the things I’m going through and demand on the spot that I do better–RIGHT NOW?

Now, I don’t know what particular task the owner was trying to get his dog to do, but thankfully we serve a merciful God who loves us and is willing to work with these lumps of clay and take the time, patience and effort to mold us into something, anything that He can use to further His Kingdom and the message of salvation. This is not to say that God doesn’t expect more of us. That doesn’t mean that He will sit by and wait until we feel like moving on a particular task or won’t hold us accountable when we don’t. If we have a relationship with Him, He will nudge us on occasion, just like the well-meaning friend who will tap you in home room class when you’re falling asleep and the teacher is calling your name. And I’ve felt Him. But just like becoming an accomplished baker, an impressive attorney or a good wife, some things take time to learn. I liken it to me learning to drive. Being a city girl who had never lived in the country I never had the need to learn to drive and was under an extreme amount of pressure from the people around me to get behind the wheel when I was living in the south. It’s easy for someone who has been doing something their whole life to want to give you the “crash course” to bring you up to speed where they are, but it took everything in me to convince people that I will learn, I just need to feel comfortable behind the wheel–and I must say that I have come a long way. Trust me!

I find also that it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. Proverbs 15:1-3 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Are we using soft words in the manner in which the Bible says or are we just letting our mood dictate how we act and react to people, situations or tasks? Remember, God is watching. Be easy with the people you love. Don’t expect them to live up to “your” idea of salvation. Allow God to grow them in His individual relationship with them. Chastise in love and according to the Word of God, not your personal preferences. And don’t be so quick to judge or lack compassion when someone takes a little longer than you do to learn, grow or reach higher in a certain area. Are you the person still trying to be a puppy? Or are you the impatient man tugging on the leash? Remember not just Job’s patience in the midst of any dilemma you face, but marvel at the restored outcome that Job was rewarded with, and know for certain that God will eventually see you through, to full grown status.