Rescued

Recently I started to volunteer and work at an animal sanctuary.  The manager asked me to do morning clean up with the dogs which consists of removing food bowls from the night before, cleaning the pen from waste, toys beyond their prime, and refill the water.  Lots of detail, and many different breeds of dogs, some small, some very large.  One of the first things I noticed was the difference in how they reacted to me.  Some were ready to jump right in my lap, and others had to warm up, and others only want their morning snack.  As I got to know the dogs, I started to get to know their stories and how they came to be at the shelter.  What amazed me, is that you could not tell by looking at them which ones where abused and which were not.  They all looked healthy and ready for the day.  Some were outgoing, others where shy, or skittish.  The more I got to know them; it was difficult to tell if how they reacted to new people was because of personality, due to abuse, or due to age.  Some of the most abused dogs where actually the quickest to warm up to me.  Others were slow to allow me to even pet them or get near because of personality, and others depended on their day. 

 This reminded me of the people we come in contact with every day.  Some are quick to speak to us and are ready for any attention and love we give them; others are not whether from past experiences or their day they are having.  We cannot tell if they have suffered abuse or not.  We often get upset with people the way they interact or don’t interact with us, and maybe even wonder if it is us.  Many people are shy by nature and others because of abuse and bad experiences.  Others are naturally angry or are having a bad day.  Most of the time when we deal with others, it is not because of us they are slow to get to know or angry, or ready to receive our love and attention.  Don’t assume someone is having a rough day or are just an angry or shy person.  It may be personality, maybe due to their past, or their health.  Some need rescuing from their pain or abuse, but we can be the light of their day and help them find the rescue that only Jesus can provide for them. 

 I, for one, have realized that people are like these dogs and we cannot tell what they have or have not experienced in their life.  I will work hard to accept people the way they are and get to know them, despite of a rocky start or a great start.  I would like to encourage you to consider the people you interact with daily as well.  Do you get upset with people because they don’t respond the way you want them to? Or do you love them in spite of themselves?  If we follow the command of Jesus James wrote about in James 2:8 “Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”, then we will discover that people are often hurt by life and need to be loved.  It may be difficult to do this, but if we ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our need (Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.) we will come to learn how to love others despite their past or present circumstances or even their personality.  Have patience and show love despite what your emotions want to show others.  You just might be the one that provides the needed resources for them to be rescued from the pit they are in.