Loving Arms
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
~I Corinthians 6:20
There is a rule, perhaps a law I guess, that states dogs aren't allowed in grocery stores. It is kind of like the "no shoes, no shirt, no service" one which isn't always enforced. As is the case at the store where I work. In summer the bare feet and no shirts run rampant and there isn't a whole lot done about it. Now the dogs, there aren't so many, but most of us had rather see a dog come through our line more than shirtless barefoot people.
There is a night manager who does enforce every rule he can think of. Some think he may like to show his authority with workers and customers alike. But who am I to judge? I just work there. Anyway, there is a regular customer who spends quite a lot of money there. In other words, she helps to pay the salary of the manager and all of us. One night she brought in a teeny tiny dog in her purse. Dog police!!! Dog police!!! The manager asked her to leave and not in such a nice way.
Since then she has been back several times and just laughs about the incident. The other night she was back with yet another dog tinier than the first. She and her granddaughter had just bought him at the flea market. She checked to see if the dog policeman was present. He wasn't. So she let her granddaughter hold the little dog while she shopped. It was a fragile little thing with curly brown fur wearing a red ribbon on its collar. What harm could he possibly do?
The little puppy had no idea that he was in a place that was slightly prejudiced against puppies. He looked completely happy and safe in his new owner's arms who had paid for the right to carry him around. All was well in his world.
This world is kind of prejudice in a lot of places against a lot of things. There are places some people aren't welcome and there are places some aren't safe. The sad thing about it is that right here where we all live and work every day Christians are not always welcome or safe from persecution.
But we have a God who holds us in His arms and watches over us wherever we may go. He bought us at a high price and loves us so much. Our lives may seem fragile, but we have a God who cherishes each of us, no matter how small we may feel at times.
Today enjoy the safety of the Master's loving arms. You are loved. He will never let you go.
jbp