Hero Never Used Words

“Lost and Found” by Greg Olsen. Used with Permission. http://www.GregOlsen.com

November 20, 2022

July 21, 2022
Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

After losing my girl, Hero.

Nothing opens us up to a true vision of love of God like a pet.

If we could only understand love of God as a pet understands love of us.

Jesus today is asked about why he speaks to the people in parables. He says it is because they would not understand if he spoke as a teacher. Their minds aren’t prepared to hear. He speaks in parables because they are simple, and they understand simple stories.

My girl Hero was chosen, with her brother, from a litter eight short years ago. I must admit, she wasn’t my favorite in the beginning. She made tons of mistakes and got on my nerves – a lot. She also seemed to have everything in world go wrong. Her health was a constant battle for her, and it was in that time – without my realizing it – that I fell in love with a Golden Retriever – who knew nothing but love for me even as she suffered.

Eight years of unmitigated love – no matter how bad I might be.

When I was recovering from my heart attack – she slept on my bed to take care of me.

I was learning for eight years how to love. Taught by a girl named Hero.

In her last days- which were hard days for her as her kidneys gave out, I was able to return that love that she had given me. I had to lift her up into my bed. Eventually, she couldn’t even do that. The last night, I slept on the floor beside her – not knowing it was the last night.

Jesus used parable because those he was talking to wouldn’t understand what he was saying.

God used a beautiful girl named Hero – a Golden Retriever who I only had for eight years – to teach me what love truly is. I wouldn’t haven’t truly known without Him using her to teach me.

Listen to the parables understanding there is beautiful lessons in them. They are simple stories but sometimes, we need simple stories.

Hero was a simple story yet she was the greatest lesson I ever learned.

And she never used words.

At least that’s what I heard Him say…

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