I ran across a story about a rescued dog recently. It is about a little terrier type, a small long haired dog. Well, the poor little dog, with fur that kept growing, had become so matted and filthy that he was barely able to walk or even see. The couple that rescued him nearly walked by mistaking him for a pile of trash. But, the sound of whimpering and a bit of movement from this small heap of dirt and filth drew their attention. Realizing it was a neglected little dog, their hearts broke with compassion. They picked up the little guy, took him to a veterinarian and, with a little tender loving care, he became a beautiful, brand new dog.
Watch this slide show to see the transformation.
What a difference a little love can make.
One couple's small act of grace turned what appeared to be a discarded pile of trash into a beautiful puppy that was full of life.
In the same way, our God creates in us clean hearts.
God sees beneath the ugly, sinful trash that layers our sinful souls. God's loving mercy begins to cut away the filth of neglect layer by layer. By trusting God, eventually our life is renewed, inner beauty restored, God's purpose for us refreshed and inspired.
Martin Luther once said, "This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam or sparkle, but everything is being cleansed."
We are not today, what we will become tomorrow.
The question for us to consider is, can we trust God to pick us up when we've neglected our souls, or do we only trust ourselves...our own individualized do-it-yourself version of spirituality?
Can we trust God to clean us up, when our sins have covered us so completely that we've grown comfortable with our own filth?
In today's lectionary, St. Paul exhorts the church in Rome to trust God.
He wrote, in chapter four, "We trust that ours is a God who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence the things that do not exist."
Bottom line is, we must let go of our sinful, filthy ways. Like the little dog, they will destroy us. Some may say that we all have free will. But, when the choice is one of life in God's care of death in my own care, is there really an option? We can trust God...we have to. If we're honest with ourselves, we have no choice. God has already claimed us. If we care about the humanity of anything, if we have just an inkling of mercy in our souls...we have no choice, but to put our faith in God to restore us and to bring life back from death. Because St. Paul is right. Only God gives life back to our dead souls, and calls into existence things that do not yet exist.
The couple who picked up that neglected dog are like God who picks us up when we have neglected ourselves, families, friends, community, world, and God. When we have become so covered in our own sinfulness that the world cannot even recognize us anymore, God still sees beneath the filth to the person He created. God washes us clean with our Baptisms, and renews our life with desire to live a life of His purpose...A life that reflects His love and grace to all people.
What will you become tomorrow?
Trusting in God's grace...we can be assured of one thing...it will be beautiful.
Amen.
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