May 1

“Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you.”  Jude 21  NLT

During the second summer with Famous, I decided it was time to give him a chance to develop his swimming skills. He had been in the pool with me the year before, but his rear kept sinking in a way that he was not able to go anywhere, even though he could keep his head above water.

But this time he was older and going to the lake for the first time. Because I wanted to to avoid the rocky bottom of the shore, jumping off of the boat dock was the preferred way to get in. Famous was intimidated at first by the drop-off from the dock to the water. He wanted so desperately to follow me. I would get back on shore, take him to the edge, and jump in. He would almost lean off of the wooden pier, and then he would back off, barking for help. I would call for him to jump, but he just couldn’t quite understand how to take his feet off of the pier and get to me as I bobbed up and down in the water.

So I decided to demonstrate over and over again how to take a step and jump out over the water. Seeing me do it several times finally gave him the confidence to follow me, and once he had made a successful leap, there was no stopping him.

Sometimes it is hard to figure out life. We may attempt time and time again to make something happen knowing and believing God wants the very best for us. But He has already shown us how to live life so that we can receive his blessings, and his blessings include the hope in our lives of a joyful reunion with him.

Dear Lord, I pray for courage today to attempt great leaps of faith!