I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

   Mac(kenzie) is the Kinley family Labradoodle. She, like many of our family pets, was named after a Beatle character (I know I'm sick, but my doctor says there's no cure). Six years ago, Mac joined a long line of assorted pets ranging from Ringo to Pepper to Lucy. But Beatle obsession aside, I'm also biased because I believe Mac is one of the smartest animals on the planet. She obeys. She loves. She hugs and kisses. She understands voice commands. She herds her psycho golden retriever sister back home when she wanders down the block. She checks in on you if you're sick. She keeps the bed warm for you before you crawl under the covers at night.
   Last night Mac read my lips.
   She even stars in her own Sermonspice Video. So now she's helping congregations understand more of what it means to have a relationship with God. I told you she was amazing.
   But most days Mac just enjoys laying on the day bed by the front window of our house, vigilantly watching for anyone who would venture down the sidewalk. School children. Old ladies with shopping bags. A man pushing a lawnmower. A couple out for a walk. A runner. A mom pushing a baby stroller. Mac sees them all, and lets them know she's near with her signature bark (usually prompting her less intelligent sister to yelp).
   Can you tell I have a favorite?

   Though it may look like Mac is effortlessly leading a "dog's life", lounging in the living room with nothing to do but dream, she is actually performing an important duty for the Kinley family. Her senses are trained to hear footsteps and voices from far away, and she distinguishes the sound of our cars apart from all others. Nothing gets by Mac. With ears perked, she's totally tuned in to what's going on around her. She never misses anything.
   Not to be sappy here, but how many so-called "Christ followers" could say the same thing? Occupied by their own lives, ruled by a desperate craving to be loved, accepted and important, they fail to see what their God may be doing around them. They regularly miss the gathering of their church family. They choose friendships that destroy their moral foundations. They lavish themselves with gifts while God's work and kingdom suffer for their selfishness. They plan their future without consulting the only One who can truly guide them. They feed themselves a steady diet of substandard, earthly philosophy while ignoring the eternal truth found in God's Word. They live in fear of offending anyone by talking about Jesus to their lost friends. Does that describe a true disciple of Christ? Is that being sensitive or attentive to God?
   So what kind of "follower" are you?  
   I mean, even Mac comes when her master calls . . . every time.