And worse still, not only have I succumbed to a life of crime...Oh my, this hurts to admit...but I have dragged our defenseless, innocent little puppy into the netherworld of delinquency and lawbreaking. I guess I need to elaborate, but it's a tale of villainy and woe, so be prepared.
Yesterday, Bingley and I got a ticket for not just one crime, but two. And let me be right up front here--I was totally in the wrong. One hundred percent. So I have absolutely no defense, no excuses. I got a ticket for walking Bingley without a leash on the greenway. And then, to add insult to injury, I got another ticket for failing to have his rabies tag on his collar. Geez, I'd never even heard of that law before...but I'm a retired lawyer, so I should know that "ignorance of the law is no excuse."
Before you blast me--yes, yes, yes, I've already admitted we were wrong. But in our pitiful defense, I always have a leash with me, and Bingley's trained to stop and sit when we tell him and to come when we call him. (Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, most of the time he comes when called...unless there's a squirrel or a particularly alluring smell involved.) And whenever we spot anyone else coming on the greenway--whether walker or jogger or biker or dog--we always immediately put his leash on him so he won't bother anyone.
But we've missed someone coming up ahead a couple of times. One of those "misses" was when we rounded a curve yesterday morning, and there were the animal control officers in all their glory. Bingley, bless his heart, ran up to them and gave them both a big, happy greeting. Great. Meanwhile, I felt like a very bad, terrible, awful, horrible person. Sigh.
The officers were absolutely as nice as can be...as they gave me two tickets totaling $100. O my stars! Just what we needed after spending every last dime on a wedding--a $100 early morning walk with our puppy. Not a great way to throw away your money. And all this time, I'd been rejoicing that the best things in life--as in, enjoying the great outdoors and walking with your dog--are free. Well, not necessarily.
Let me hasten to add: as soon as I got home, we found the rabies tag and put it on Bingley tout suite! And just in case you, too, were ignorant of this law, well now you know! Go find that rabies tag right now before you read another word and put it on your beloved pooch...
Now, if you're back with me after locating fido's rabies tag, can I say that, like all things, the Lord has been using this in my life to convict and teach me. Boy, I have a long way to go.
First of all, I'm reminded that the laws are the laws, and we need to obey them. That includes not just man's laws, of course, but also God's commands. Aren't we so prone to assume things like--"Well that really doesn't apply to me." Or "Yeah...but..." and we fill in the blank with our excuses. Whether it's passing along gossip...worrying and fretting rather than worshipping and trusting Jesus...indulging in pity-parties rather than choosing gratitude...or seeking excuses for our disobedience rather than simply confessing and repenting of our sin.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
And secondly, I'm remembering, once again, to thank the Lord for grace! Praise God for the immeasurably wonderful, cleansing gift of forgiveness. Praise God for fresh starts and new mercies--all because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. The divine exchange--our sin for His righteousness; our failures for His faultlessness; our guilt for His grace.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." (Ps.51:10-12)
Let me be honest here--I felt crummy after that ticket. Seriously--it wasn't just the money..though that made my husband feel pretty awful! No, it was that horrible feeling of having done something wrong. Of being a lawbreaker. A humbling sense of having messed up...and dragging our puppy along with me into the mess!!
No doubt about it: Bingley felt bad about it...real bad. He went into the laundry room when we got home, looking dejected and defeated--
What a pair--Mr. Bingley and me--guilty, humble, discouraged lawbreakers.
But Christ! But Christ! But Christ!
Oh the joy of forgiveness!
Yeah, sure, this is one silly example...but still, it's just as true for the guilty liar as the guilty leash-breaker. For the guilty murderer as the guilty complainer--
It's only due to His forgiveness.
It's all by His grace.
And it's all for His glory.
So thank You, Father, for the reminder, once again, of the incredible riches we enjoy in the Lord Jesus. Thank You for grace--"God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Free to us...but immeasurably, infinitely costly to Him. Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord.
To God be the glory.
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