The Goodlife Recipe

Rebekah's dog, Scout Labradoodle, is - by and large - a deeply contented animal. Life for our amicable fur-ball is fairly uncomplicated, and when the key ingredients are in place she's guaranteed good to go. Yes, dogs really do smile - and this one seems to wear one pretty-much 24/7.

I was watching her this morning, after our long walk, and I thought about contentment. We were in the kitchen, where I was making coffee. Scout was sitting patiently by her food bowl, looking at me expectantly, occasionally breaking off the stare to glance back at her bowl. There was a small puddle of drool on the floor between her paws.

"What's up?" I asked. Then I remembered; I'd fixed her breakfast a few minutes earlier... the bowl was full and sitting on the floor in it's usual place... but something had distracted me and I'd forgotten to give her permission to eat.

"Good girl," I said, then snapped my fingers in the direction of the bowl.

Her food - which she loves desperately - is called "The Goodlife Recipe". I love the name and - if I can pull it off without any copywrite problems - I'm calling "dibs" on the concept for the title of my next book.

However, wonderful as that particular dog-food brand may be, the factors that make's Scout's life a good one are less complex than a good bag of yummy food. Here they are:

• Scout is loved.
• Scout knows she is loved.
• Scout has people who translate that love into action.
• Scout knows that our family cares for her, and she is confident that we will follow through.
  

Beyond that, food is simply a detail.

Sometimes I wonder if we pay attention to the clues that God places around us?

• I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)
• For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39
• How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!- 1 John3:1
  
• And these amazing words from Job - chapter 19: Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever!I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!