But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. (Psalms 73:28)
Mid stride vigor sparked my old dog. She was chasing birds like a puppy with a purpose. Instincts cheered her on—you can do it, run harder, that one is yours. The plovers merely peeped, scissored their legs away, and—when the gap became too narrow—flew back to where the chase began.
The golden retriever spun around and redirected to other prey. Back and forth she galloped, from one bird to the next, tail riding high, a dog in her element. She was out birding with her master.
The Holy Spirit opened a wonderful truth in this scene. Those birds are like my goals. I run for all I’m worth toward a target, and as the gap closes, it flies to a new location. I regroup and head for another mark, only to see it flutter away as well. Ambitions rarely bring satisfaction. Objectives expand, change, or evaporate. I never catch the birds of there-don’t-you-feel-wonderful-because-you-made-it. But my instincts won’t let me sit and look on incomplete possibilities, so I am driven to keep up the chase.
Jesus says, “It’s okay to want the finished product, I made you that way for paradise. But don’t be troubled that, in this life, you run but never seize. The point is not arriving, it’s running, next to me.”
It’s time I learned from my dog. She’s happy running, even if she never gets near a bird. I have to let go of my pride that murmurs “I was made to be the solution to the world.” I’m not. Jesus is the solution. My place is as the object of his love.
“Have fun,” Jesus says. “Go romp, laugh, and grab after goals. But remember, you don’t have to win, you only have to be mine.”
Prayer: Sovereign Lord, my ambition is to be near you.