Honesty

I am going to get really really honest here for a second. God taught me a major lesson today. One that I feel I have to share with you guys.

First the story that set the stage for this lesson...

After church I set off to the grocery store to buy a few things before Luke comes home. On my way home I decided to stop for Chinese take out ($4.95 lunch special and it includes a drink... you can't beat that.) Anyways, when I pulled up at the Chinese place I was, of course, on the phone so I did not really pay much attention to the yucky blue pick up truck parked across from me. I walked inside, purchased my food, and headed back out to the car. I was still on the phone (of course!!) but I noticed a dog crying in the back of the pick up truck. I went a little closer and discovered that someone had left this dog (either it was a puppy, or a small dog... about Rage's size) in a crate in the back of this pick-up truck. It was 2:30 in the afternoon and it was BLAZING HOT outside.

I quickly got off the phone and called the Sheriff's department. With each cry of this little dog I got madder and madder to the point that I was almost in tears when the operator answered. She quickly took all my information and sent an officer my way. I asked her if I could get the dog out of the crate and she said unfortunately I could not. Being a dog owner whose dog sleeps in my bed, this kind of cruelty was heartbreaking to me.

About that time the owners (mom, dad, and about 9 yr old daughter) waltzed out of a store nearby and I was livid!! As they walked towards the car I told them I was on the phone with the Sheriff's department and that what they were doing to that dog was illegal, and that they could be ticketed for it. I must admit they were not the most well educated or financially well off people (I am gathering all of this from the state of their car, clothing, hair, and teeth... or should I say "lack of teeth"), but Animal Cruelty is Animal Cruelty. It does not take a Master's Degree to recognize that!! The owner of this dog was very angry with me. Her come back to my "What your doing is illegal" was "He's in a crate"!!! I said "I see that, but it is BLAZING HOT out here!!" They got in their car and left, and unfortunatetly the Police Office Operator (who was on the other end of the line during this entire conversation) said there was nothing they could do since the owners had left the parking lot with the dog.

I got into my car, called my mom and vented in the worst kind of way. This kind of behavior INFURIATES ME!! In my venting about how these are the kinds of people that I have to work so hard so that I can feed THEIR children, I asked Mom the question "Why does God let people like that have Children and Animals?? Why does he give people who obviously make AWFUL decisions power over a helpless being??"

It is no hidden fact that I want a child so bad I ACHE, but the fact of the matter is that Luke and I have been married for 5 years and we have purposely prevented having children because we did not feel that we could properly provide for them. We want to be good stewards of the time, talents, and resources that God has given us.

Well, to finish my story and get on to the point of this rambling blog... I went home and later sat down to do today's chapter in the new study that I am doing. It is a topical study on The Sermon On The Mount. As I was reading Matthew 5:44-45 God revealed something to me that hit me like a ton of bricks.

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

I realized that God loves that "not so lovely" looking couple as much as he loves me, and Luke, and Sarah Palin :) He causes his sun to rise on them, as well as us. And he causes his rain to fall on them, as well as us.

Yes, they made a bad choice by leaving their dog out in the blazing noon day sun, but I have made bad and stupid choices as well.

I am a very conservative Republican who cares deeply about the political issues in our country. Sometimes though I allow my religious and political views to cloud the fact that life is about loving people... God's people!! He created us ALL in his image.

My prayer today and always is that I will be able to see people as God sees them. With love and compassion. Not the outward apperance, or education level, or job status, but the Real Person.