"No, keep walking." Every day I fight against the powerful force
of my three dogs' attraction to storm drains!
We walk past several drains on our usual route. I prepare for the 80 pounds of combined
effort to drag us all to the opening of the drain. If I keep us walking in the middle of the
street I can withstand the initial pull.
If I am not alert and let the three dogs too close to the curb, I get
ready to run because their pull toward the drain is too powerful.
The curious part of this occurrence is each and every time
they make it to the storm drain. It's
one sniff and done. I'm amazed that they
continue to strain for the experience when it is obviously not satisfying. You'd think they'd learn that the anticipated
reward of the storm drain will not meet their expectations.
"You will eat and not be satisfied; your stomach will
still be empty. You will store up but
save nothing..." Micah 6: 14. Micah continues his message to the Israelites
to turn from their sin of trusting in anything but the One True God. Micah warns them that there will be
consequences for their unfaithfulness.
There will be dishonesty, violence, ruin, scorn. They will be unable to fix the situations on
their own.
The search for satisfaction in life is more powerful than
the combined pull of three dogs toward a storm sewer. There is no real satisfaction in the work of
our hands.
I considered all the seasons in my life when I sought to be
satisfied. I had goals and many
achieved. Yet there was, and is, always
another goal waiting because I haven't been truly satisfied.
I once had a goal to collect Beanie Babies. I loved the feel of the soft toy in my
hand. Their cute faces made me
smile. My husband joined my
passion. What started as just the dogs
and bears became a hunt for each and every Beanie. We had
a network of collectors sharing leads.
We met in parking lots to inspect potential purchases. We negotiated with internet providers. A
friend even procured a coveted bear on an international trip. It was great fun while it lasted.
One day I realized the craze was manipulating me. I was
collecting even the ugly Beanies. I
didn't like the amphibians and psychedelic additions. Yet I felt obliged to complete my
collection. I quit when I admitted I
was no longer satisfied.
Now I store my Beanie treasures in plastic tubs in my
basement. Soon I'll need to find new
homes for them. I love them but it's a
burden to care for them.
Micah urges the Israelites to "Listen! The Lord is calling..." (Micah 6:9a) and
to "Heed the rod and the One who appointed it." (Micah 6:9b). He challenges them to pay attention to what
is happening in their world and why. The
evil forces were prospering and their unfaithfulness to God contributed.
Listen and heed. Pay
attention and obey. Wake up and change
your course.
I don't want to be like my dogs who haven't learned from
their daily unsatisfactory sniffing experience.
I want to listen to the One who leads me on my daily walk. The One who keeps me in the middle of the
road a safe distance from the unsatisfying and gently says "No, keep
walking."
It is not easy to
choose the unknown experience with God over the handy, tangible, attractive
"storm drains" of life. "I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear
me." Micah 7:7 challenges me to
not trust in what I do and collect my treasures. I will not be satisfied. I actually will become burdened with these
treasures. The only true satisfaction is in The One who is my Savior and hears
me. There is no burden in His treasure.
Today begins another treasure hunt.
Will I
evaluate the treasure I seek by heavenly standards or worldly opinion?
What
will I do with the treasure once I have it?
Will
it be short-lived or eternal in nature?
How
will the treasure I seek satisfy?
Today's goal is a satisfactory day. To achieve this goal I plan to collect God's
treasures not what the world considers treasure. I have no room to store worldly treasure but
plenty of room for His treasures.
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