God talks through a dog

In The Daily News of Newburyport, Rev. Kevin Leach wrote a column about how God talked to him through his dog. Leach related how it had been a long time since he had given his dog a bath, and that the bathing process was difficult for his dog. There was a lot of tangled hair that needed to be brushed and cut, and his dog did not like it. Leach compared this process to God cleansing us of our sins:

What did God say to me through this process? He reminded me of the time when he first revealed to me just how dirty I was. My sin was so great and then Jesus said, 'I will wash away all that dirt and make you clean.' Once the cleansing was over, I said to myself, 'It's all over now.'

Little did I know that the process had only just begun. Since my initial cleansing, the Lord has continued to work on me — like that long process of brushing out the matted hair. When God calls us to follow Him, He completely cleanses us from all our sin and yet, there is ongoing work to accomplish in us. Sometimes this work of transformation really hurts, and we might protest (sometimes loudly).

God patiently speaks to us, saying, 'Trust me, this is for your good.' After some assurance, we 'lie back down' and let the Lord do His good and necessary work. This process of unsnarling and detangling (which is God's work of sanctification — that is, making His children holy) continues in me even after 30-plus years of following Christ. Even though it hurts at times, I know it is well worth it because God cares for me more that I can imagine. I am learning to trust Him fully.

Although it's not easy, it is for the best when God takes us through the cleansing process.