The Stuffed Monkey

Hope puppy has a passion for balls. Her perfect day would entail chasing the ball over and over and over again. If no one will throw it, she will even throw it herself. During her short rest times she likes to sit there and chew on her ball. Her balls do not last very long. They have a tendency to fall to pieces very quickly. The only other toy she has is her stuffed monkey.

Her stuffed monkey has no stuffing left in it and is basically just a flat tattered piece of material. But she loves it. When all her balls are gone, she always turns to her monkey. Today she has been carrying her monkey around in the hopes that I would throw it for her.

When I look at the monkey it makes me smile. She loves that monkey unconditionally. As it has lost body parts and stuffing, it has made no difference to her. I think that is the way all of us are called to love. Lavishly and unconditionally, just the way God loves us.

In fact there are days that I feel an awful lot like that monkey ..... it is a good thing I am loved.

Just Connie