Rescued!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

“Jesus said to them. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”” Mark 2:17-18

We have three rescue dogs, animals that were abandoned or left in a situation that was less than ideal; an agency took them in and made it their mission to find new homes for them. It’s become pretty common, so that saying “my dog is a rescue” is understood by many.

When someone unfamiliar sees one of our pets, I frequently mention that they were “rescues”. I am sometimes met with looks of pity or comments like: “oh, I could never do that. I’d want a new puppy.” The implication is that taking in a less-than-perfect dog has great risk. And taking in an animal that has already been through a few bumps in the road is a risk they wouldn’t want to take. There may be behavior issues that are difficult to control or change. They want their own little puppy to mold.

I think of humans, and all our flaws and shortcomings. None of us are perfect; each of us have difficulties and problems that we’d maybe like to overcome. Or, each of us has special characteristics that make us unique, some of which may not be appealing to others. And then there's sin. Regardless, not one person on earth is a perfect specimen of humanity. In spite of this, God loves us. He loves us through our shortcomings, He loves us in spite of them, and He loves us even when we don’t love Him. Like a rescued pet, we may have backgrounds that are rough. We may have behavioral issues. Like some pets, we may even reject the love others may attempt to show us.

In these parallels, I both dislike the impression that by getting a puppy instead of an older dog you won’t have to deal with imperfection, and I like the thought of God “rescuing” us, like we may rescue a pet, by offering love and acceptance.

There’s no need to be perfect, and God has already “rescued” us by sending His son as our Savior. Both are reasons to be grateful!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of my shortcomings, in spite of my sins. Thank you for the grace and forgiveness you offer. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

Photos of my “imperfect” rescued pets: Pippa, Louis, and Leo: