That cute face looking at you up there is Ice. She came into our lives about a year and a half ago. She was three months old when we got her and she has been quite an addition.

The ad said she was a Border Collie mix. We found out pretty quickly the “mix” included a lot of Australian Cattle Dog which is fine with us as one of our past dogs, Trey (Post “God is So Good February 13th, 2018), was also an ACD.

The ACD has many good traits and Ice definitely lives those out. Ice follows Diane and I around to supervise whatever we are doing. When we sit down, she usually lays at or on your feet to make sure her “herd” is intact.

Ice, as is the breed, is very intelligent and learns very quickly–or maybe teaches us. Diane and I have been taught our main role in Ice’s life is to endlessly throw her ball so she can retrieve. There may be rotator cuff surgery in our future.

Ice seems to be able to know what the days of the week are and the routines involved with them. Ice understands that after breakfast on a normal workday, we leave and she stays home. On these days, she puts herself into her crate completely without direction.

When she sees us getting out the coupon box and grocery bags she will shake with anticipation as she knows she is going along. If she sees me getting the leashes and Driver, our other dog is not around, she will run to find him and give an impatient bark or ten to alert him we are getting ready to leave. But later that same day, as we prepare to go to church, she again will put herself into her crate.

But then she is an ACD and thus has, in my words, CPD–compulsive possessive disorder. I found the following description of that doggy disorder and it fits Ice perfectly. We found out rather quickly that any socks, or napkins, or plastic bottles, or most other small objects, if left laying within two feet of the floor, became hers’. Not that she chews them up, she just collects them in her crate and brings them out at various times. Oh, and she does not share well with her older “brother” either.

I have to admit I find myself applying some of those laws in my life. I feel sometimes that what I have is mine. I can do whatever I want with it. As a result, I act selfishly and look out only for my needs.

At other times, I can think that generosity can go only so far and so I undercut Diane’s efforts in that area. Again, I only see what I want and my desires become central in my life. I can say that I do not feel jealous of what others have–or maybe I don’t admit it.

I know part of my issue is I can ignore what God said in the book of Hebrews Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. For God has said: I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you. I believe that we will have our basic needs met. But sometimes I believe that God will forget about my wants. So, as in the property laws above I can find my self acting out number 1 above: if I like it, it is mine.

Of course, that puts me first in my life. That–as painful as it may sound–is a form of idolatry. I am telling God “you are no longer sovereign in my life so move over, I am taking control.” Reading what I just wrote is frightening.

To try and salve my conscience, I can point to King David who saw someone who wasn’t his wife, Bathsheba, messed with God’s plans for his life and suffered the loss of a child for his sin. After all, David was the only person in the Bible that God refers to as “A man after my own heart.” But that doesn’t excuse my behavior.

Rather, I need to turn to God just as David did in Psalm 51: Be gracious to me, God, according to your mercy. Erase my acts of rebellion according to the greatness of your compassion. Scrub me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. (vv1-2 EHV) Only then am I set right with God. Only then can I start anew and with the assurance of my forgiveness as a result of Jesus’ death on the cross, live differently.

In faith I can trust that God loves me and will provide for me and my family. In faith I can resist the selfishness that wells up within me. And in faith, I can be content with all I have knowing that everything is God’s and he only lets me use it for a while.

This is not easy to do, especially if I grit my teeth and fight this on my own. But I am not on my own. Jesus’ life and death is proof of that.

I have to admit, there is some ACD in me. Ice can be sweet and loyal and show affection for those around her. But then there are those property laws that make living with her a challenge. As I wrote this, the dogs were taking a nap not more than five feet away from the computer. I guess Ice can learn to share at times–and she does not even have faith. Imagine what I can do!

Thanks for stopping for a bit. I hope you come back again. I will wait you.

 

 

The following is a song based on Psalm 34. It talks about praising God for deliverance, for turning from sinful ways, and assurance that he will provide. Ok, the message may only be for me, but I sure enjoy this praise song.