Coco Calling No.265 - Loving the Warts and All

I actually belong to quite a large family. Apart from my owner and his wife, there are also the two Labradors, two Exmoor ponies and two chickens. I suspect there’s only one of me because I’m totally unique.

The two Labradors are now quite elderly; in human years, they are in their late seventies.

They’ve always been together, having come from the same litter in rural Suffolk. You’d think they’d be two of a kind, but that’s not how it turned out. Bella, from day one, was bright and intelligent, and wanting to bond with our human owners. Lucy, meanwhile, was quite the opposite. She’s never understood humans and never responded properly to training and commands. So it’s always been Lucy, that has chosen to escape from the garden and go off for illegal walkabouts. It’s been Lucy who would never walk to heel on a lead, but instead, pull (and sound) like a steam engine. It’s been Lucy that has barked at nearly every other dog or dog-walker in sight. And, of course, it’s been Lucy who, on many occasions, has positioned herself in the middle of the road, refusing to budge as giant tractors and vans have come hurtling towards her. So you could say that she isn’t very wise and doesn’t help her own cause. But despite this, our human owners have always been there for her, and treated her just the same as Bella. In fact, sometimes more so. Because there have been three occasions when Lucy has needed expensive surgery that wasn’t covered by insurance.

And you know, it’s a very similar set up with God and humans. Because some humans behave far better than others. Some are responsive and listen and want to please. Others ignore, reject and place themselves (and others) in positions of real jeopardy. Yet despite this, God has no favourites. Everyone is given the same chance. And everyone is loved in exactly the same way. Warts and all. And that’s why we should be forever grateful that God still loves us even when we don’t always love ourselves!

“God loves each of us as if there was only one of us.”

(Augustine of Hippo: [354-430 A.D]: Also known as St. Augustine. Theologian & philosopher of Berber origin who was Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman North Africa).

“God’s love is not restricted to when we have behaved well or have faith in Him. He loves us all the time, no matter how great our sin.”

(Joyce Meyer: [1943-present]: American charismatic Christian author and speaker).

“For God does not show favouritism.”

(Romans 2:11)

“Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.”

(1 John: 4:8)