Tess, our precious terrier, loves people and does not appreciate being left alone. We’ve had a few occasions where she’s gotten into things around the house while we were away at the chapel, but most of the time, she’s an angel. Last Sunday, however, was not one of those times.

As we entered the house Sunday afternoon after our morning church service, we immediately spotted the debris covering the foyer carpet. Destroyed plastic containers dotted the area. Tea bags—some intact, many not—littered the floor. Loose-leaf tea covered the room like fallen leaves on an autumn day. Yes, for some strange reason, our pooch decided to ransack my tea collection. Bad dog! Nobody messes with mama’s tea!!!

As we cleaned up the disaster area, Jason and I discussed possibilities for her behavior. True, the weather and time constraints had prevented her from getting a morning walk, but that still didn’t explain her sudden fascination with my tea. Those containers of tea have been in the same place since we moved in, and she’s never shown any interest in them. So, even if she did have excess energy, what prompted her to scatter my tea all over the foyer? We were baffled.

The more I tried to understand what had gotten into her, the more I wondered how many times I made God wonder the same thing about me. How often have I done something so out of character that my Master cringed at my outburst? How many times have I fallen far from what He expected from me? On how many different occasions have I decided to show off or show out for one reason or another, utterly oblivious to the consequences of my actions? By the time I had cleaned up the mess and contemplated my many mishaps, all I could do was cradle Tess in my arms and tell her that I loved her. Yes, her actions were wrong, and I was disappointed, but she knew that already. She needed to be reminded that my love for her hadn’t changed despite her failure that morning.

I, for one, am so grateful my Master doesn’t rub my nose in my mistakes. Instead, he forgives me and encourages me. He picks me up, dusts me off, and assures me He still loves me. And while there are usually consequences for my lapse in judgment, I can’t tell you how often He’s cleaned up my messes.

We all have our Tess moments from time to time. We know the right thing to do, yet, for some reason, we do the opposite. We stick our noses where they don’t belong. We put ourselves in a position of compromise. We surround ourselves with temptation and quickly fall prey to it. Whatever the situation, we fail. The good news is we have a loving Master who cares for us enough to help clean up our messes and to assure us that nothing we ever do can separate us from His love.

When I held Tess in my arms on Sunday and told her I loved her, I felt her relax. Her fear subsided, and she could snuggle in peace, knowing she hadn’t lost the good thing she had in being part of our family. I feel the same when God nuzzles me and confirms His love for me. How about you?

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39