Sam the Whiner Dog

I have a Border Collie mix,  his name is Sam.  Sam is about 2 and half years old and is a friendly, fun addition to my family. Sam has one major downfall: Sam is a whiner.  He whines over just about everything.  It’s not a loud whine, but it can be especially annoying.  

I was sitting in my front room yesterday reading and Sam was sitting at the window watching the world pass by.  And something did pass by . . . . another dog.  The whining soon ensued.  Sam paced back and forth, put his paws on the window sill, looked at me, looked outside and whined, whined, whined.  He so wanted to burst outside to run and play with the other dog, or at the very least, he wanted me to leash  him up and take him exploring.  The other dog was soon out of view and Sam came to sit at my feet.  His brown eyes stared at me, beseeching me.


Sam came to me so I could scratch his ears.  He wanted some attention, to be reminded that life was still good, even though what he thought he wanted was being denied.  When I stopped loving on him, he nuzzled me and encouraged me to keep scratching and petting.  He was needy.

It hit me that I’m just like that.  I compare myself to others, see what they have or what they get to do, and I whine.  In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 9:8, it says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.”  In Philippians 4:19, (also in the Bible), it says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  God reassures me that I will have ALL my needs met. Does it mean that I get everything I want?  Nope — I’m still hoping for new boots.  Yet, boots or not, God is pouring out grace, undeserved favor, on me.  Just like my dog, Sam, came to me for some loving, I can go to God and He will remind me that I am loved.  He’ll remind me that I am special, that I am part of His family, that I am wanted, and that He understands that sometimes I want something I just can’t have at the moment.  

I don’t know what you are longing for at the moment.  Perhaps you’ve compared yourself to someone and you have believed you don’t measure up.  Or perhaps you’re jealous of what someone else is able to do, or participate with, and you feel like you’ve been short-changed.  Perhaps you just want to be able to go and play for awhile, but life’s demands keep you trapped inside.  God longs to “make all grace abound to you,” He longs to remind you that YOU  are His Princess: uniquely made and loved.