Barking Leson

Father, I'm sitting her on my bed, reading your word and it tells me to diligently seek and desire to be intimate with you. And from the living room I hear my dachshund Brady bark. He knows I'm awake and wants to be with me. I just want some quiet time, so I ignore him and keep reading and writing about what I'm learning. He continues to call out to me with his barks. Each time he barks I get more irritated, knowing my husband Nick is out there and is also getting irritated with his barking. So I close the devotional and go out to let him out of his crate just to stop his barking. His tail wags and he joyfully prances off to my bedroom. I'm not so joyful. Matter of fact, I'm actually getting angrier with his interruption with each step I take. I'm now ashamed to say I picked him up by the collar and throw him on the bed and shout at him to lay down and be quiet. By now I'm furious and know there is no way I can get intimate with my Father at this point because of the anger welling up within me. I know I've got to calm down or this "time" with my Father is wasted. What does my little dog do? He sits at my hip, puts one paw on my hip, pauses, and then proceeds to burrow under the covers next to me, content to just be with me. Anger, frustration or love, he's just happy to be near me. And I begin to think about my relationship with my own Master. Doesn't He, too, get bothered, angry and frustrated at my continual, insistent "barking" for attention? Doesn't He, too, want to throw me aside just to shut me up? And in my heart I hear Him speak. "No, daughter. You've got it all backwards. the very thing you shun and get angry about is the very thing you seek. I'm like your dog. I'm doing the barking. I'm wanting to spend time with you, no matter how you're feeling. I just want you to instinctively know that I love you and love every part of you. I wait for you to realize that. Don't shut yourself off from Me. Let me in on every part of your life and know my love. Believe my love for you is true, faithful and everlasting, even when you are not." Forgive me Father. I confess you're right. Thank you.