“If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee” (Deuteronomy 30:4). When we play fetch with a dog, what is the dog's attitude or demeanor when we throw something for him to go fetch? Eager, excited, enthusiastic, and joyful all spring to mind. It doesn't matter what we throw, or how far or how close, or if we try to trick him by pretending to throw it one way and then throwing it somewhere else, the dog loves to go fetch. He never sees it as an imposition, or a chore, or some mindless and unavailable imposition that is preventing him from doing what he really wants to do. No. If we throw something and tell the dog to go fetch, he's going to drop everything and go bounding off after the object. And then, once he's brought it back, he's going to wait around impatiently, maybe even nudge us, until we throw it again. We may not want to believe it, but this is pretty much the exact attitude that our Savior has with us. If we find ourselves driven out unto the outermost parts of Heaven, then like a great golden retriever, Jesus Christ is going to come running after us to fetch us and bring us back to the fold. Christ loves saving us. It's His absolute favorite thing. He is excited and eager and enthusiastic and joyful when He has the chance to come and fetch us. He does not get resentful or annoyed or weary of the distance. Nor is He frustrated when we manage to get ourselves thrown out again right after He brought us back. That only means He gets to keep doing what He loves best - running to fetch and save us. Just like if we kept the ball safely tucked in our pocket it would mean that our dog would no longer be able to play fetch, Christ lets us get ourselves lost so that He can continue to enjoy saving us. I hope that we will all give ourselves a little more grace and try to see that the endless throwing and fetching involved in sinning and repenting does not need to be all drudgery and anguish but that we can approach our relationship with the Savior with joy and with a little sense of play. If we have been looking at God backwards this whole time, then maybe thinking about a dog playing fetch will help us understand a little more what it means to Him for Christ to come and save us.
