Maybe God Feels Like This...

I had a traumatic experience this morning. My dog ran away. That's right. He wasn't ready to go where I wanted him to go so he slipped his little body backwards out of his coat and ran like the wind. Thank goodness I've been training for a 5K because I ran a whole one today ~ with barely any training! I thought, "If I can just keep him in my eyesight, he'll be ok." But guess what? I couldn't keep my eye on him. He went through the rails of the fence and under cars and all kinds of places I couldn't go. Places I didn't want to go either! The most frustrating thing is that he kept looking back over his shoulder, checking to see if I was about to catch him. And then finally, I lost sight of him all together. I felt the tears on the back of my eyes and started to wallow around in self-pity. I thought, "Well, everyone else has always run away, I guess I should have expected this too." I was freezing (it was 28 degrees!), my nose was running, and my legs were almost numb. I stuck my hands in my pocket and started back home.

As I was on my way back home, it struck me. I DO THE SAME THING! I have it so good with my Father. He watches out for me, wants only the best for me ~ and yet I run from Him. Tug (my puppy) has it so good too. He is set with a warm house, a coat, the best food, puppy treats, all kinds of toys and I would do anything to make that little guy feel more at home. He even has a family and grandparents he gets to visit almost every weekend since he was adopted! What more could he want?? And he ran. Just like me.
Don't we all do it? We have it so good, all safe in God's hands. We don't have to worry where our next meal will come from or where we will live. The Bible says that God even takes care of the grass, and how much more are we worth?? Listen to this:

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take do you take thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. If God clothes the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you? (Luke 12:26-28)

And yet we still run! It just doesn't make sense! So, I trudged back home and up the stairs and decided I would get my keys and make one quick drive around. When I came back downstairs, Tug was standing there in the grass, sniffing around as if he had been there all the time. I felt relief flood over me, although I knew there was a chance he would run again. And sure enough he did. He knew where his home was and he had come back. But once again he looked over his shoulder and took off. I called for him time after time, but I let him go. I walked to my car and got in. I turned on the engine and drove down the drive, hoping and hoping that he would come running, anxious to join me on the next adventure. Then, all of the sudden, I saw a little black and white figure with 2 huge beady eyes trotting hopefully over to the car. I was so hurt that he would run from me but soooo happy that he came back. I opened the door and he jumped willingly into my lap. He was shivering and his jowls were quivering and puffing out. His ears felt like ice. He was smelly and his feet were dirty ~ apparently he had taken a romp in the fish pond. But I didn't care. All I cared about is that he was back. Of course when we got back home, I was much less gracious than our heavenly Father. I told him he was a "bad dog!" and put him in his "cage" for a while. But even then he had a nice fluffy blanket. Later I gathered him up and gave him a bath and it was as if nothing ever happened.
So I wonder... Does God feel somewhat the same when we run from Him like that?