Hurting

Our dog’s nails needed to be trimmed. This is one of the few grooming tasks that I don’t attempt by myself. My husband volunteers to do this intricate procedure, while I feed the dog treats to keep her distracted and calm, and my son holds her in his lap. It’s difficult to know where the claw ends and the blood vessels start inside the nail bed. Last time we trimmed her nails, we clipped it too close to the quick, and it started bleeding. Our dog remained stoic, eating her treats--not even a whimper. We, on the other hand, were close to tears! We cleaned up the blood, put pressure on the nail, and put medicine on it. My husband was upset and frustrated with himself. We were hurting for our dog. After a few minutes, the bleeding stopped and the dog seemed fine.

I wonder how much it hurts God when we are in pain.

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.” (John 10:14-18 MSG)

“Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.” (Isaiah 40:9-11 MSG)

God must love us more than we love our pets. I can imagine the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit trying to minister to each of us—trimming away parts that are damaging to ourselves and others. When we bleed—when we are in pain—God must feel upset and frustrated too.