Marley and Holly. (Looks like a stand off to me. LOL)
Building relationships:
Just a little over six weeks ago we rescued, our now dog, Marley . At first when we would open our back door she would run to the far corner and stay. When it was time to come in, we’d have to physically pick her up and bring her in. It took her a little while to venture off to the other areas of the backyard. Now, Marley never runs to her secluded secure spot. She runs out to play, adventures to other areas, and when she is done, she now happily runs back into the house.
The same thing with when we take Marley for a walk out the front door into the neighborhood. She has her routine of where to go, but she doesn’t freeze or is so skittish at every sound or has to be picked up and turned in the right direction to come back home. Nope. She sniffs, does her routine, runs when you do, and then when she sees our home, she heads to the front door. Whew!
I wasn’t sure what she was going to do the other day when the front door was accidentally left open. She ran outside and sprinted across the park. I told Hunter I just may need his help. Well, as it all turned out, I was able to casually walk across the park, call for her, and put her leash on without any hesitation. Double Whew!
Why? Why is Marley becoming more comfortable and not so timid around us? It’s because we’ve built a relationship with her.
Okay, so some family members may say, “I beg to differ! Marley’s still not real comfortable around me.” True. But the more time you spend with her, the better the relationship will be.
I massage Marley, pet her, give her treats, talk to her, give her attention, …
Just like any relationship in life…the more time you spend with someone the closer and more comfortable you become with each other.
Psalm 73:28 says, “But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.” Amen! Being near to God, building a relationship with Him, makes me want to tell others about Him even more.
When I read John 15:1-17, about “He is the vine and we are the branches” parable, I couldn’t help but think about the relationship we have with Christ. People may come and go in our lives, and life goes on. But when we are apart from Him, we are nothing. We ache, fail, and get weak.
I hope you choose to grow closer to God. Work on your relationship with Him. Massage your mind with God’s word, talk to Him through prayer, and give God lots of attention. You’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable with Him. He already loves you!
I pray God’s abundant love and blessings for y’all.