THISCLOSE

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"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:5

Squirrel is not a clingy dog. In fact, sometimes I wish he was a little more clingier. Like during the day when I'm working in my home office, and Squirrel would rather sleep in the bedroom. Or when I'm folding laundry, and he'd rather be in a sunbeam in the living room.

When I have food, he's my Siamese twin, but in the absence of a potential snack, he's fairly independent.

Every once in a while, however, he gets in a super clingy mood. I'm sure it would drive me crazy if he did it all the time, but as it's infrequent, I cherish it. For instance, the other night I was trying to practice the piano music for next Sunday's worship service, and he insisted on lying across my feet and the sustain pedal. Not great for practicing but wonderful for my heart.

I wonder if God sometimes wishes that I was a little clingier. A little more insistent on always being in His presence. A little hungrier to sit at his feet ("at," not "on," Squirrel, my boy).

There are times I am, in fact, desperate to cling to my God and my Savior. And there are times I am distracted by sunbeams, chew toys, and things outside my window.

Why? What could possibly be so wonderful that it could steal my attention away from the God of the universe? To this, I have no answer.

I have to believe that God is quite the musician. As in The Musician. Perhaps some day, on the other side of the eternity, I'll get to sit at His feet and hear what real music sounds like.

That would beat even The Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra any day.