"I just like this blanket for the articles. . . "

Last night I was talking on the phone to a friend of mine and just started laughing. Laughing so hard that I couldn't talk. My friend was wondering what was going on, and when I finally caught my breath, I explained that Radley, my roommate's puppy was. . . how can I put this delicately. . . "actively engaging" with this blanket he had in his mouth and pulled between his legs. Okay, apart from revealing that I'm not 30 but actually 12 and still think stuff like that is funny, it was another one of those moments when God revealed something to me about the gospel through this dumb little dog.

Here's thing: when Radley does something bad or wrong, he just does it right there. He doesn't care who's watching or who knows about it. His "sins" are out in the open for all to see, just like his romantic romp with the blanket. Radley doesn't try to hide because he knows he's loved. At the end of the day, he knows (as much as a dog can) that he lives in an enviornment of enormous love and care, and that nothing he does will change that, so he's just himself. . .the good, the bad, and the inappropriate!

He's not like me, always trying to hide and keep things from those around me. See, I live in a loving, caring enviornment too, but so much of my time is spent covering up, trying to look good, trying to impress, and trying to put forth an image of something that's really not true. Why can't I be more like that dog, recognize that I'm loved, and just be myself. . . the good, the bad, and the inappropriate! It's a lesson I need to learn over and over again, and God seems to be willing to use all kinds of methods to teach me!