Bella and the Ball

Bella, pictured here, is one of my favorite creatures on this planet. She caused me to fall in love with her and her great heart some years ago. She lives with some dear friends of my daughter in Colorado. They cooked for us today an extraordinary Mother’s Day meal. Every time I come to Colorado I can’t wait to see this dog, and the sweet friends too. When I have stayed with them Bella slept in bed with me and I never felt anything quite like it – such generous, sweet, unconditional, warmth of love.

When there is a gathering at their house as their was today Bella has to stay outside; she’s big and so full of enthusiasm. But hope springs eternal for her. She badly wants someone to come out to play ball with her. This is a picture of Bella waiting. It is not just a snapshot in motion. This is Bella waiting. She will stay like this for hours, hoping someone will come play ball. If you go throw with her, she is ecstatic and will bring the ball back to you as many times as you can possibly throw it. If you go back inside she will stand just like this waiting. How can a person resist this kind of hope and waiting?

To me this is a picture of how the heart waits for God. It is focused on this ball, whatever that is to the person, and it waits, hopes and trusts; waits and hopes and trusts; waits and hopes and trusts. This image of Bella is to me a mirror of something so precious in the spirit.