Several years ago, Cindy and I had the joy of
bringing home a brand new Golden Retriever puppy named Katie. Her arrival came
during a very challenging time in my life. I was searching for God's direction
regarding the founding of my own ministry to men. The thought of leaving a
meaningful corporate position with all of the attending satisfaction and
financial security was a scary one. I had grown accustomed to those regular
paychecks. Where I was thinking of heading I knew a steady income would no
longer be a guarantee. With mixed emotion I began to seek the Lord for guidance.
I will never forget one particular morning when I was calling out to the Lord in
the solitude of our basement. At the time, little Katie had only been with us
for a few days. She loved to follow me around, and that day she was wandering
around the basement as I prayed. I remember standing by the back door -saying,
"Lord, I just love you, I just praise you. You're such a good God." Suddenly I
felt a warm impression on my left foot. As I looked down I saw that Katie had
positioned herself on my slipper and was looking up at rne with those
irresistible puppy dog eyes. I began to cry as I heard God whisper in my ear,
"How does that feel?" It felt wonderful! Katie just wanted to be close to me.
She wanted me to pet her. She was lying on a foot that could literally crush
her. But that did not matter-she just wanted to cuddle. Then the Lord spoke to
me again and said, "Vince, that doesn't even come close to how I feel when you
do that with Me." I broke into an ever more intense time of weeping. I know that
those thoughts could have never come from my own mind. I knew that I had heard
from God. What a tender and powerful moment that was!
It is difficult to comprehend the extent to which God loves us and desires to be
close to us. While my story about Katie may seem a bit silly, it represents yet
another intimate moment with the Father. Most of us know what it is like to hold
and cuddle a small baby in our arms. What a feeling that is when that small
wonder clings to you and hugs you back! God longs to have the very same
relationship with us.
D'Acchioli, Vince. Wired to Work! Huntington House Publishers: Lafayette,
2001, p. 44 - 45.
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