A strange thing happened to me the other night, or I should say, something unprecedented.
I attribute it to the growing power of God's love in my life.
Let me preface my remarks with a scathing denunciation of the popular definition for love, that embraced by the majority of Christians in our society.
Their syrupy, liberal, socialistic, bleeding heart, Christian activist approach is evil to the core, and NOT what God is about.
The mixed up crowd focus on nice, gentle, forgiving traits to the exclusion of the other vital dimensions of God's charactar, and the resultant distortion is detructive of His values and government amoung men.
More about that later, perhaps.
We have two "weeny" dogs, minature daschhounds, and one of them is a pitiful coward, "Gweep" we call her. The thing about her that so impresses me is her gentleness and her dependence on her masters.
Both dogs are terrified of thunder storms, and we had one the other night.
To prevent them from peeing on the carpet, we keep them in an empty room in the house at night, and during the day when we're gone.
During the recent storm, I awoke to hear Gweep scratching frantically on the door to the spare room. The lighting was flashing and thunder crashing.
Normally, I would have hit the door and yelled at her to cease and desist. It's silly to be afraid of thunder, right? They aren't really in any danger, and their fear will pass.
Mind you, I am very kind to the dogs, and abhor cruelty in any form to dumb animals, so much so that I won't even poach a fat pheasant that hangs out here on the farm. Oh, if my family were hungry, I'd bag that sucker in a New York minute, but I can't kill any more without good reason.
In a radical departure from my usual application of authority, instead of chastising her, I tossed and turned, unable to get my mind clear of what was troubling me....the flood of empathy for the pitiful little hound, knowing how terrified she was.
Finally, I couldn't resist any longer. I got up, as badly as I need my sleep, at 2:00, and went in and sat with them in the dark until the storm had passed. Gweep and Dutta1 both huddled near me, shivering, until my presence calmed them.
At first, Gweep was wary of me. She always is. I am quiet, but stern, and stoop to pet her frequently, but for the most part, I am a guardian, a provider, and I ask only obedience from the dogs.
It's the girls and Cindy that adore the little pests, and I must admit, gladly, that I love them too, but I am not too demonstrative.
So, Gweep approached me with trepidation, but driven by her terror of the noise, she crouched near me. Her little tail was beating so loud on the floor, I thought it would wake the women up.
I can't express the feeling, emotion I'm sure, that overcame me.
This is something that is really very personal to me, something that is a warm and exhilarating exchange between me and my God, that I don't normally tell to anyone. It's too tender, and somehow, is diminished by saying the words.
But I wanted to say this, for the sake of encouragement, such as it may come to pass, for growing believers in a doctrinal ministry.
What Bob says, the explressions he offers of the wonders of God's irresistable power within us, is more real than anything on earth. I have discovered this, and in many other ways, in the last year.
I don't know exactly why, except that it is the real thing, the pure quill, friends, not an emotional illusion, or a conjured experience, but raw divine power, in all it's magnificence, working inside me.
Sitting there in the darkness with those dogs, feeling their trembling subside with my protection, gave rise to a feeling of gratitude and awe, completely aware that this was a divine event in my soul.
At once I was humbled, and regretted for a moment that I had never found this tenderness in myself before. I was actually putting little Gweep before myself, knowing I would suffer with my narcolepsy on the morrow for losing sleep, yet content to sit and soak up that unbelievable warmth from God's love, expressed through me, for those little beggers.
He was concerned for Gweep, and used me to comfort her!
I was totally outside of myself for an hour, living for another creature, albeit a useless little scrap of flesh, but for her capacity to express dependence and unconditional love. Her wellbeing was my only thought, and drove me from a comfortable bed by the Holy Spirit, I gained more in those precious minutes than I can express.
I am reminded of the analogy of the earthen vessels, and God as the Master Potter. Our greatest blesing and happiness is not in receiving for our own sake, materially or otherwise, but preparing our souls to be filled with God's infinite love, as it flows through us, as well as to us. The afterglow of that phenomenon is awesome beyond imagination, and the essence of what Bob describes, as he feels it himself I know.
So often any more, that tough old campaigner, hard nosed as he is, tells us how much he loves us almost every day. He can't help it. I know, I felt it the other night, for a dog no less.
He overflows with this ambience, so extra-natural as to be miraculous.
Well, I'm not even close to having a spiritual climax! So don't start drooling, you tounges morons!
No, but I want some of you to know, who are struggling to climb to the high ground, that the promises of wonderful things are absolutely real. If I can taste them, with my preference for combat and other "nonchristian" activities, like sighting in my 9mm on a coffee can, or lambasting those heinous bastards, the Chicoms,
ANYBODY CAN!
Hang in their, keep fighting the good fight! The riches of grace flow all the more abundantly in these times of apostacy for those who stand on the right of the line, unwavering, true to our Lord.