MARTY SPEAKS

First of all, if you know anything about Marty, you know he probably isn’t speaking…

…he’s "air barking."

But he’s definitely got something to say.

Right now I’m babysitting with Marty…at the beach.

I know!! Marty, and the beach! The beach, and MARTY!!

It’s a tough gig, but somebody’s got to do it!!

Oh, he’s such a buddy.

My son has this great big recliner in the living area. It’s so comfortable. It hasn’t quite reached "duct tape" condition yet, but it is well-worn and squishy in all the right places.

I love to sit in it…and so does my partner in crime.

He just adores cuddling right up next to me – on my left side, mind you. Never, ever the right side. If you try to fake him out, and scoot to the left, he just looks at you like you’ve lost your mind. And if you don’t scoot over at all, he has perfected the "stare down" technique of intimidation. In the end, you scoot over. Oh, never underestimate the force of a dog staring at you – it just wears you down…

OK, so you’ve got the picture? Me and Mr. Marty, all tangled up on a recliner. Heaven…

Until I inevitably have to get up for some reason. Like I’m thirsty. Or hungry. Or I drink too much iced coffee when I’m thirsty…ahem. (Yes, iced coffee, not tea – java junkie here).

I have to extricate myself from the jigsaw puzzle of limbs, and like a well-executed tango, I finally scoot on out of the chair.

When I return, my little friend has rearranged himself in the recliner, in a position that totally hogs the whole chair and makes it impossible to sit down.

Now, when Marty was younger, he would stay like that. And make you move him. I have yet to be able to figure out how a dog that weighs (by the scale) 33 pounds, could become such a ton of dead weight. He was also very good at rearranging his molecules so that ALL of that weight leaned into the back of the chair – thus making it a circus act trying to remove him so you could sit down.

But, Marty has matured.

Now all I have to do when I return is sorta back my backside into the chair, politely say, "Excuse me, sweetie," and he gets up. He walks to the outstretched foot rest, and waits patiently until I’m all re-settled – and then he scoots in next to me again…on the left side.

Martin has become a gentleman.

I am always so impressed with how quickly he moves for me. He makes me feel welcome, and needed, and loved. He makes me feel important…

Of course, you know that this is teaching me something about God.

Isn’t that recliner kinda like our lives?

It’s so easy to get all comfortable and cozy – to feel all settled in, just the way we like it. To fall asleep, oblivious to anything else but the droning snore of our status quo.

Until Jesus makes an appearance.

When I was younger in the faith, I often acted just like Marty used to.

I’d see Him approaching, and I’d settle in even more.

I’d become an immovable object.

I’d fight against being jostled or rearranged.

I’d lean into the farthest corner of my heart. I’d make it impossible to move me.

I'd sigh in frustration that I was being inconvenienced by the Lord.

It was a ridiculous tug-of-war. Jesus, waiting to settle in – and me, refusing to let go of my position.

But maturity has come into my life, too.

I have grown in my understanding of Him. I have grown to appreciate His companionship. I have grown to move when He wants into my heart.

No matter what I’m doing – when He shows up, I want to make room for Him.

And then tuck myself right up next to Him – real close – on His left side, maybe, next to His heart.

Are you making room for Jesus?

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"