Longing for Jesus' Presence - Jeff and Alyssa

photo-4We celebrated Aslan’s two-week homecoming the other day. 10 weeks old already! And he’s growing like a weed! The past two weeks have been a whirlwind- so fun & challenging. Who knew a new puppy would be so much work!? (Well, everyone who has had a puppy before did! Reality didn’t set in for us until day 2!) Not quite as much as a new baby for sure, but he definitely has altered our daily lives. And he is just like my husband- go, go, go and then crash. He’s one little busy guy! Long walks, runs, puppy naps, chewing…on everything- his bone, blanket, ropes, balls, red lightbulb toy, cabinets, walls, stools, socks, & underwear! (Thank goodness for Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray!) Biting…our feet, hands, chin, arms, pants, forehead….oh man!

But in the midst of all of his puppyness, he’s adorable. What a cuddler! And he’s so smart- now when we walk, he knows about 2 blocks away that we’re coming home and starts sprinting to the steps. But my favorite thing about Aslan is how he loves to be with people. He just wants to be with you. He’ll whine when you’re just two feet away from him on the other side of the gate. He sleeps right at your feet when you’re on the couch. And when I sit on the stool in my kitchen, he tries to jump up on the other one to be by my side, or he’ll twist his body to fit under the stool to be under my feet.

It hit me today as I was sitting with Aslan and he was excitedly trying to jump up on the stool to sit with me. I thought, “Man, he just loves being with us. Every minute he can. He never wants to leave us.”

And then I thought, “What if I was like that with the Lord? What if I just couldn’t get enough of Jesus? If I constantly looked to Him, if I constantly longed to just sit with Him, at His feet? To rest with Him, to walk with Him, to delight in Him?”

Not that I’m saying we’re like dogs! But I am learning a lot about the Lord and my heart through my dog. What if we so longed to be with Jesus as our dogs long to be with us? How different our lives would be. So often I go through my day without thinking of the Lord, or knowing He’s there, but just going on as if He’s not.

But God is with us.

Immanuel.

God is here.

With me.

In me.

I want to want to be with Him more than anything else.

Lord, may my heart long for you and you alone.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” || Psalm 42:1-2

 

Do you long to be with Jesus? How do you welcome Him in to every moment of your life?