Tuesday With Teri

         The grandpuppy came
to visit the other day. Lucy, our sons almost 2 yr old Weimeriner , is a little
on the rambunctious side. Okay, okay, for those who have met her, she is A LOT
on the rambunctious side. She is almost 50 pounds of energy, built like a
gazelle, clumsy like a toddler, with light green eyes that convey a false
innocence.

While Lucy is basically a good
dog, she is still all puppy and has been known to cause a great bit of trouble.
Her tall, lanky frame enables her to reach table and countertops with lightning
fast ease. We “Lucy proof” the house whenever she comes to visit; breakable
things are put away; all foodstuffs and possible poisonous stuff are tucked far
from her reach.

Perhaps the most important
aspect of “Lucy proofing” is hiding all of Hughie’s stuffed toys. Hughie is our
little Yorkshire terrier. He has just a couple of favorite dog toys, both of
which are stuffed objects not designed for the rough chewing/playing of a
larger dog. Bunny, little bear, and green man are usually tossed into a secure
place prior to her entry into the house…unfortunately green man did not make it
this time. I walked into the living room to find snow white tufts of stuffing
floating about Lucy as the lifeless green man dangled from her mouth. Upon
hearing my scolding tone, she looked up at me with her pastel green eyes, beat
her tail feverishly against the floor and then proceeded to happily bring me
the now limp dog toy as if to show me what a great job she had done at
conquering it. Sigh.

Later that night, after Lucy
had returned home, I was putting away all the dog toys and decided it was time
to discard the shell of what was once a vibrant puffy green man. I looked at
his now open seams, threads dangled from all the edges and one appendage hung
precariously by a thin strip of fabric. Funny, I have felt like this little
green man at times. I know what it is like to be “de-stuffed.”

No, I do not mean literally
of course, but I do know the feeling of having all that seems to fill my life
and make me happy, vibrant and active, simply float away like tufts of
stuffing. Too often I let circumstances or people rob me of the joy that God
has given me. I forget He fills me with His Holy Spirit and that He is reason
for all that is my life. When this happens, like the now floppy green man, I
lose my form. I allow myself to become ineffective as I struggle to define who
I am.

The good news is that, unlike
the green man, my stuffing can be restored. When I turn to my God, look to His
Word, and remember His promises, He is faithful always. He restores my joy
every day, forgives me of all my sin, and loves me with a love that is beyond
comprehension. Without Him I am nothing more than an empty shell, with Him I am
“stuffed” with all kinds of hope, grace and possibility.  I hope this week you find yourself
sufficiently stuffed with the Holy Spirit!

“…We pray
that you’ll live well for

the Master, making Him
proud of you as you work in His orchard. As you learn more and more how God
works, you

will learn how to do your
work. We pray

that you’ll have strength
to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim

strength of gritting your
teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the
unendurable

and spills over into joy,
thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to

take part in everything
bright and beautiful He has for us.”

Colossians
1:10-12

(The Message)