The relationship begins.

The first lesson God taught me through my dog was the practical view of what it was going to be like to start a relationship with God.  

When I first took my dog home, he was ok with the whole situation until he realized that his entire life as he knew it was changing.  All seemed great when I was holding him and loving on him, but when He finally noticed that everything he had ever known to be his life was no where to found in his surroundings, he PANICKED!!  He proceeded to hide from me and cry and cry and cry.  It was pitiful!  I kept trying to reassure him that I was going to take care of him, love him, give him all he needed and more.  My efforts to comfort him left him no less sold on the idea of his future.  He was scared and upset and there weren't enough cookies and sweet talk in the world to make him feel better at that moment.  Over the new few days, weeks, months and years, our relationship flourished.  The first few days were pretty rough.  I would go to work and he would cry.  I wasn't really sure if he was crying because he was alone, because he missed his old life/family or because he missed me.  Pretty sure it was a combination of all of the above.  Over time, he began to realize that even though I left for a bit, I would always come back.  He also learned that relying on me for food, comfort and love was a safe thing to do.  And so trust began to develop.

I still remember when I first decided to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior.  It was like the first time I brought my dog home, only this time, I was the dog.  I was completely ok with the whole situation until I realized my entire life as I knew it was changing.  I then went into a great PANIC!  I was scared, upset and wasn't fully convinced this was a good idea and it didn't matter how much I was reassured and comforted by God and others, I was not completely sold on the idea of my future as a Christian.  Obviously this happened over a span of many days, months and even years, but it very much resembled how my dog reacted as we developed our relationship.  I missed my old life/family and the things I had become so used to and comfortable with in my life.  It really didn't matter if those things were the best things for me, it was what I knew and I felt better in the known than in the unknown.  Then I encountered the first time I felt like God wasn't with me, which He always is even though I wasn't convinced because my feelings said otherwise, and I cried and cried. I'm not sure if I was crying because I missed my old life, because I felt alone or because I missed Him, but I'm pretty sure it was all of the above.  Overtime, I began to realize that even though I felt like He left, in reality, He was always there.  I also began to realize that relying on Him was a safe thing to do and so the trust in God began to develop.  

Please notice I said "develop".  It is an ongoing process.  Today I have a stronger and better relationship with God than I did yesterday and tomorrow it will be a new lesson and an even more solid relationship, but it is an ever flourishing process.