God sometimes brings a chuckle into our lives just when we need to lighten up.  Life is sometimes a struggle these days since my husband is now on hospice.  However, he can still get out a bit and he likes to take a drive sometimes for a change of scenery.  Yesterday, after an appointment, he wanted to go for a drive.  It was the last thing I wanted to do, but we drove to a nearby river where we used to ride our bikes on a bike path.  It was just a short and easy walk down to the river from the parking lot.  When we got down closer to the river, I noticed a little dog playing with something on the edge of the river.  I couldn’t make it out, but it looked kind of like a rock, but how could it be.  Was it a piece of rubber? Or plastic?  The next time I looked, he was swimming in the river.  As I watched, he suddenly disappeared.  Where did he go?  Was he drowning?  Within a short time, he resurfaced carrying something in his mouth.  It was his “toy.”  The object was about five inches long and seemed kind of smooth, but irregularly shaped.  I couldn’t figure out what kind of dog toy it could be.  Hmmm.  We stood there a while longer looking at the beautiful river and enjoying the peaceful moment.  Then I noticed the dog swimming again, and again he disappeared and resurfaced with his treasure.  It did look like a rock.  I HAD to ask his owner about his dog, the toy, and his unique ability. 

“I’ve never seen a dog dive like that before.”

“He’s had that rock (it really was a real rock!) for six years.  It’s his favorite toy.  He plays with it all the time.  I have a friend who has a pool and he likes to throw the rock into the deep end just to see the dog dive down to get it.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“The funny thing is that after it rains, he won’t go outside because he doesn’t like to get his feet wet.”

😍❤️😍

Quite a unique talent for a dog and a funny story to tell after a rough day.

But was there something more to the story?  God speaks to us in parables to help us understand bigger ideas.  A few ideas came to mind.  There is a Scripture that says, “That rock was Christ.”  And of course we all know the parable that Jesus told about the pearl of great price.  Water corresponds to the Spirit.  It’s really a simple picture story about the way we have to dive into the deep of the Spirit to find Christ, the pearl of great price.  

To me, just like the dog never tired of diving and retrieving, for us it’s not a one time dive and then we have it.  As life goes on its way, we dive in daily.  It was the little dog’s delight to dive in over and over to retrieve his rock, his treasure above all treasures.  

Maybe with this picture, God is saying in a kind and light hearted way that although life’s circumstances are sometimes really hard, He is leading us into a deep dive into the Spirit. There is nothing negative in Him, so even life’s most difficult trials will somehow bring about a good.  So, these times are the dives into the deep end that will bring us both higher and deeper into our walk with Him.  That is so easy to say, but difficult to live out.  At any rate, it reminds me of a song that goes “Deeper, deeper, in the love of Jesus.”

Jesus. Truly the pearl of great price. Such a treasure that is so worth the trouble to get.

… Tribulation works patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope does not make ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 5:3 – 5