The other day I was sitting in a park in San Juan, DR. I would say I was people watching however, in this instance my eye was not drawn to people, but rather to 2 few-month-old puppies. They were wrestling about, seemingly without a care in the world. They were just enjoying the moment, fairly oblivious to anything around them as they growled and tumbled. As I watched the pups I couldn’t help but draw some parallels to our own lives…
In our most basic form, we are quite similar to animals. We have a human nature with instincts and driving forces encoded into our DNA, just as animals do. We are born into this massively diverse and ever-changing existence, with little knowledge or understanding of it, just as animals are. We both have to learn how to survive.
So, as I looked at the pups I saw them blissfully playing and I thought “They have no idea the perils that lie ahead for them. They have no idea how difficult it is to be a street dog here. I wonder how long they will survive.” Morbid thought? Maybe. Reality? Yep.
I, on the other hand, have seen other dogs in that city. I have seen their hobbling on broken legs, starved rib cages, and desperate glances. I DO have an idea of how difficult it must be to be a street dog there.
This is the reality that all animals are born into. Whether a dog on the streets of San Juan or a lion on the Serengeti, makes no difference. Humans retain these animal-like qualities as well. We are the same…BUT there is also a difference. Unlike any other animal, God gives us the option to escape the impending doom of our human nature.
God gives us the choice to see the perils that lie ahead and walk the other way. Wow. I mean, if you look at how many species there are in the world, doesn’t that make you feel at least SLIGHTLY special? GOD CHOSE US. And it doesn’t stop there. Not only did God create us humans knowing that we are special in his eyes, but he invites us to even MORE. Our existence delights the Lord, he loves us %100 already, but he also gives us the option to recognize the state of our nature and live in HIS nature, not ours. WHAT?! That’s out of control.
Thank you Jesus for looking at me when I was a few months old, playing with my siblings, totally oblivious to the nature I was born into and thinking “She has no idea the perils that lie ahead for her. She has no idea how difficult it is being a human. I should probably let her know.”
I am no longer interested in surviving. It’s time to THRIVE people!
