A Dog's Life - Part Five

Mike got a job offer across the country - Western New York. The Roberts had grown especially fond of Dingo; the cat had become accustomed to him (she was even emulating his behavior now - rolling her eyes, coming when called, snorting while she eats). But taking Dingo out of his desert environment (especially five days in a truck) seemed like a cruel thing to do.

Enter the Eisenbergs. Gena and Mike had known Richard Eisenberg for as long as they had known each other. Richard was Mike's best man, and he and wife Patricia were frequent participants in Roberts schemes. They also had a five year old son - John Z. Every boy needs a dog - right?

Mike talked Richard into a "trial period" with Dingo. When the Roberts visited, Dingo refused to go out front for fear they would take him away. The Eisenbergs spoiled that dog to no end - long walks in the hills, gourmet food (delivery!!), baths and brushings, and of course, Dingo had his very own boy. It was a match made in heaven. (Well, the Eisenberg cat wasn't too thrilled, but he didn't have a vote, so learned to keep his distance.) Dingo became John Z's protector and friend. They had many adventures, but John will have to one day tell their story.

Even after the Roberts had gone and come back again, Dingo was an Eisenberg. He started to have trouble with his joints (especially his right hip) and the walks got shorter and shorter. He had some little "tumors" removed from his skin now and then. But he never lost his appetite! Eventually, Richard had to help him get up and down. And finally, Dingo didn't get up again. He lived with the Eisenbergs for 7 years.

I think he was 19 or 20 years old when he finally went to the hunting ground in the sky last month - happily chasing rabbits once again. Dingo was the best. He is missed.

My Attempt to Answer Inevitable Questions

Why believe in God?

At some point I recognize that I am not in control. For a while I fake it and try to force my will on the world around me, but I fail. If I don’t admit that God is in control, then I must admit there is only chaos and therefore, no hope. But if I do admit there is a God, how do I deal with that? How can I make him accept me and get me through? I can bargain with him that I’ll be good and follow the “rules” in exchange for His good graces. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work, because I am incapable of being good all the time and following all the rules. So I make another deal to make sacrifices and/or work off the bad things I do and rules I break. But I don’t do that either. I can’t even keep track of all the rules I break, much less the work to make up for them. (It also shows that I’m still trying to be in control.) This brings me to the Good News. God knows the trap we’re in. He sent Jesus to do the work and make the sacrifices on our behalf. Because Jesus had nothing for which he needed forgiveness, God accepts Jesus’ work and sacrifice for me. And not just for me, but for anyone who will ask. It’s that big! God even gives me the faith I need to come to him and ask for forgiveness. All free.

Where’s the catch?

Well, there really isn’t a catch. It’s just a matter of believing it and accepting it. Of course, if I don’t think I have anything for which I need forgiveness, then I really still haven’t recognized that I’m not in control. The trouble comes when I try to still buy my way in, “OK, God. Sure. I’ll believe whatever you want me to believe, if it’ll save my bacon later.” That’s not really belief; it’s trying to buy insurance. Usually the way you can tell it’s true belief is because I’m so blown away by the implications of this whole thing that I become sold out for anything God is doing. I want to help. I mean, look what he’s done for me? The least I could do is get to know the guy, see if he could use me in some capacity, let other people know what’s going on.

What about baptism?

Jesus told his disciples to go into the world baptizing and making disciples. Almost everywhere in the New Testament of the Bible, when people come to believe in Jesus, they get baptized. But nowhere does it say that if you don’t get baptized, you void your salvation. It doesn’t say that! As Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the criminals dying on a cross next to him admitted to the wrong he’d done and then said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (That’s in Luke Chapter 23.) Jesus didn’t say, “Somebody get over here and baptize this guy before it’s too late!” This leads me to believe that God is in control. He does what he wants regardless of our attempts to earn his favor.

So if a person won’t get baptized because they’re stubborn, there’s probably an issue there with their faith. But I can’t know that for sure. I’m not in control, remember? If they won’t get baptized because of extenuating circumstances, I think they’re ok.

Is it ever too late?

There will come a time when it’s too late. But since I don’t know what happens as a person is dying, I don’t know when that too late moment is. Who knows but as a person lies on their deathbed completely unresponsive to the people around them, that they may be having one last chat with Jesus? It’s not like he wants them to jump through a bunch of hoops or get a perfect score on some arbitrary test. Accept that you aren’t in control; admit that you’ve screwed up and deserve punishment; accept Jesus’ sacrifice in your place; and believe! I see it as a moment of clarity when a person breaks down and asks for forgiveness. Then Jesus reaches out and takes their hand and walks them into eternity.

I believe God wants everyone to spend eternity with him, but he won’t make them. Some people don’t want God in their lives or their afterlives, unless he plays by their rules. They put him in a box and decide how he should behave. They refuse to let God be God. I guess some of us still won’t admit, even at the end, that we’re not in control.

Why wait?

Really, waiting until the end is kind of playing with fire. (Ha Ha) Especially since, I can say from experience, life is hard. God is in control. Instead of fighting for the reins, let go. Follow where he leads and rest. It's not easy; it's not all sunshine and roses; it does bring peace. And yes, I still have a really difficult time with the control issue.

The Joy of Life

Death is so ugly. It is offensive. We don't like talking about it, and many people fear it. Some people turn to it as an escape, while others use it against us. Like everything else, it has a purpose, but can be so misunderstood. And certainly it's inevitable.

Luckily, God loves life! He created life (we brought in the whole death thing). Even in death, we have an out, because Jesus came and conquered death forever. God promises we can truly live by accepting His Son as our Savior. What does that mean - truly live? It means experiencing pure joy right now - regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the evil all around us. We can enjoy life. And, that life goes beyond our temporal existence here. Physical death just takes us to the fullness of life with Jesus forever.

Sadly, not everyone believes this. People insist on seeing life (and death) from merely the ugly, human side. Granted, that's all we really CAN see here - the emptiness of existence, the loneliness of death, the seeming meaninglessness of it all; no one can prove all that other stuff, it's just wishful thinking, right? But once you accept Jesus, life becomes worth living; you never need to be lonely again; He is the meaning; and you don't need to worry about what you can't see because you KNOW.

Craziness? Wishful thinking? I don't think so.