doggie grief

My last post a week and a half ago let you know that Ralf has gone to doggie heaven. I knew that I was going to be sad, yet I've been shocked at the depth of my grief and how it has taken me out of the game. I've been pondering why that is.

Part of me thinks that my grief is a longing for Eden and Heaven. When Adam and Eve were kickin it in the garden before the fall, they were in right and good relationship with the animals. The critters were companions long before they became food. In the book of Revelation we see that at the end of it all there will be a new heaven and new earth where the earth and heaven will be united and earth resotred to an edenic state. You can hpothesis that we will be in right and good relationship with animals (and all creation for that matter) when we get to glory.

Ralf wasn't just another four legged thing. He was a friend and companion who gave me, my family and many others a glimpse back into Eden and forward into glory where we were and will be walking in tight communion with animals. My friendship with him filled an void that has been present in all humanity since Genesis 3 - the longing for all to be well. For some that void is filled with horses. For others by a long walk in the woods. still for others a day on the lake answers that call for Eden. For me it was filled with my brown furry friend. I miss him becasue I (like you) was made for heaven.

Peace and Joy
Rob

Mourning

Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5 that "bessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."

Well our dog and buddy Ralf died this morning and it sure doesn't feel blessed. I trust someday it will. Our home is pretty heavy with sadness now. For now we will simply feel the weight of sadness and not rush out of it.

Peace and Joy
Rob

Again

It got me again. Darn it. Will I ever be free from the pull to letargy and laxity in the wonderful freeing disciplines in life. Time with God. Commitment to excercise. Right and balanced eating. This week the disciplines were all replaced with the old habits. The Apostle Paul talks about the battle between the spirit man and the flesh man. It sure does feel like Mr. Flesh wins a few too many times.

"As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it [sin], but it is the sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; ... For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:17-25)

Well said Paul, you speak for me. Thanks be to God. Through Jesus we are rescued. Rescued from the eternal consequences of sin. But also rescued from the day to day consequences of sin. It's a new day. A good time to start a new.

Peace and Joy
Rob

Brothers

Nehimiah 4:14 says, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daugheters, your wives, and your homes." Hmm... I would have thought that wives and kids woul have come before brothers. Yet it is not so. Brothers first. Then the family.

A couple weekends ago at the Mancation we looked at this second role of men - brothers (remember the first role was son). We looked at Nehimiah's call to fight for them first. To be sure we are called to engage in the battle for the hearts of our children and spouses. Yet in the battle against the kingdom of darkness we must first fight for our brothers. We stand stronger when we don't stand alone. Once we have fought well for our brothers as a brother we will have greater united strength to fight for our kids and wives.

Your role - if you choose to accept it - is to be a brother to other men. Fight well and fight together.

Peace and Joy
Rob