No Greater Love

When I walk in the door, my dogs greet me as though I have been gone for years, not just a few minutes. I am the most special thing in their world and no matter how down I am, the dogs greeting me day after day with unconditional love makes me think I have worth.

I met my friend Linping for lunch yesterday. She has been in China for 5 months, and has just returned. She is one of those friends that no matter how long it has been since we last saw each other, our conversation picks up as though we had just spoken the day before. She always greets me with a huge smile and hug, as though I am the most important person on earth. Everyone needs a friend like Linping. Everyone needs to know that someone is very glad they are alive.

I just read a summary of the top ten healthy life habits and one is being religious, and another is having strong relationships with others. I can't recall if having dogs is on the list, but if it is not, it should be.

I think God gave me dogs, and He gave me friends like Linping. He also opened my heart to faith in something greater than myself. He gave me the vision of what selfless, sacrificial love at its finest looks like in Jesus' atoning death for my sins on the cross. He reminds me that I am eternally loved beyond compare and that He would do everything in His power to greet me at the door of Heaven with a huge smile and hug as though I were the most special thing in His world. His unconditional love reminds me that I have worth no matter how worthless the world may find me.

He gave me my dogs to lick away my tears, and my friend to share in my joys and sorrows. And then He laid down His life for me, that I might find life.

How can one not be encouraged knowing this!?

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“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12, 13 ESV)


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