Playing With the Piglets

Yep, here’s little me, playing with a piglet, inside of the house. I used to play with baby pigs all the time. Not exactly a pet kitten or puppy. Still, I was happy; I didn't know any better, after all. Looking at this photo of me, I do see Maya Angelou’s quote, one of my favorite quotes, come to life:

“When you know better, you do better.”

It’s easy to beat ourselves up, isn’t it? We love to play games called “if only” and “I should have.” Hindsight- man, it can really kick our behinds, huh? But God is thinking of you now, looking at you mercifully.

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

Psalms 40:5

“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Regret is painful and potentially crippling. Perhaps, you’re regretting past actions that have lingering consequences. Perhaps your regrets involve consequences from addiction/eating disorder/toxic relationship choices. Maybe you feel that you need to “pay” for your sins; maybe you feel that deserve no mercy, especially from God. But, no matter what you’ve done or haven’t done, God loves you as His child, looking for you as the Father waiting for the Prodigal Son. Look at Luke 15:11-24:

11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'

22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

You may not have ever physically played with or hung out with piglets, but you could still find yourself in a pig pen, a place of shame now, a place that God wants you to leave. Don’t wallow in the mire; come to God, your loving Father, instead. Come to Him, regardless of your state, your past and your mistakes. God hasn’t called you to live there; He wants you to live in His Love and Grace. No, you may not have “known better” then, but you can know God and do better in your life now. God’s helping you and will continue to help you.

Let’s stop playing with the pigs and let’s live for God instead! Indeed, knowing God, we will know AND DO better in our lives!