Motivated and Persistent

Of our multiple animals, we have a six year old Yorkie, Eli, who I’ve written about in the past. Eli was a gift to me, from my husband, for our tenth wedding anniversary.

For most of his life the poor little guy has had seizures due to a head injury that happened when he was just a puppy which makes him pretty fragile. Long story short, he’d jumped from my arms and smacked his little noggin on our wooden deck outback and from that time on whenever his head (or neck) are impacted you can bet he’ll go right into a seizure. He’s on seizure meds that control ‘random’ seizures (which he was prone to after the head injury) but he still has them when he encounters impact regardless of the meds.

As an example — Eli was sleeping on my bed recently when he heard me come into the house, he got excited and decided he was going to jump down and greet me. I was just walking through the bedroom door and couldn’t catch him in time before he clumsily hit the wood floor with a thud. The seizure that followed was one of his worst and honestly I wasn’t sure he’d come out of it. I prayed in my heart like crazy in the moment, God spared him and as a result Eli is never allowed to be on our bed again…no exceptions!!

He’s stinking cute!

We’ve now bought him a large dog bed and situated it near our bed but it’s taken him some time to get used to. Our bed is pretty high from the floor and this is something we should’ve bought and started years ago.

At nighttime he’s restless for a short while and the little clicking of his paws can be heard as he pitter patters from one side of our bed to the other, hopeful that either my husband or I will lift him up to his preferable place of sleep and familiarity. I feel bad because he doesn’t understand and I miss him cuddling up next to me…although I have been able to sleep better now.

Eli teaches me a “good” lesson applicable to my life as a Christian — I want to be so incredibly dedicated and familiar with Jesus (in my faith and relationship with Him) that I can’t stand to “feel” separated or distanced from Him.

Like my dog, I want to be so faithful, motivated and persistent in pursuing what brings me comfort and peace. For Eli it’s snuggling in close to my husband or I and falling asleep next to us on our bed or begging relentlessly for canned dog food — and for myself as I work on authentic Christianity it better be my relationship with the Lord that brings me satisfaction and security in my life without hesitation. Every. Single. Time. No exceptions!!

That means that if (or when) I’m putting God second it would bother me so much I’d be stir crazy. When something tries to distract me or come in the way I’d be unsettled. When Satan attempts to send me on a hazardous detour route, I’d notice the red flag warning immediately and head straight to the One who’s already paved the perfect path.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. —Colossians 1:17

Because Eli’s a dog he’s always going to live impulsively by selfish means and very sure-hearted in what he wants even if it’s not always the best choice for him; likewise as a Christian we’re to live selflessly yet with a devoted heart strongly fixed on Jesus…Eventually at bedtime Eli grows tired, loses interest in claiming a spot on our bed, gives in and finally tuckers down into his new, more safe, bed. Contrastively we as Christians can’t choose second best, we must strive ahead determined to keep Jesus first in our lives.

For you, are you persistent in keeping Jesus number one in your life? If not what is standing in the way?

Author: alimw2013

About For His Purpose~ My name is Alicia and I'm a thirty-something year old who loves Jesus. Only through God’s amazing grace and mercy I have been redeemed from past regret and shame. Reading His word has allowed me to look past Satan’s forceful lies, to see myself for who Christ says I am in Him. Through writing I have learned why I made the choices I made in my younger years and I now have a better understanding of why I desire to love God like crazy these days. Despite my daily failures, God remains faithful always. I am reassured of His unconditional love for me by every ink-drop spilled out on paper, each committed prayer as I cry out to Him, and deep understanding reflected through reading His word as truth. Yes keeping a blog will make me vulnerable to others’ opinions- there will be some who don’t understand, some who may criticize or judge, but on the other hand if just one piece expressed through my writing grabs someone’s attention and directs them to God, then pouring out my heart in a blog for the world to read is worth it. I choose to glorify Him alone through words streaming across a glowing screen. And it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t reveal the fact that I’m incredibly quirky; I’m my loving husband’s best friend, my vivacious kids’ craziest cheerleader and spiritual trainer (3 John 1:4). I love anything farmhouse and rustic style. I think cupping a warm coffee mug in the palm of my hands is more satisfying than the contents within. I share a common obsession with my husband for the mountains, but I would (without a doubt) settle for waves crashing against my legs at the Atlantic Ocean just as well, and I almost always have a Yorkie curled up on my lap while writing. *All photos are photographed by forhispurpose.blog and therefore may not be stored or photocopied in any manner.

67 thoughts on “Motivated and Persistent”

      2. Haha no cows although the in laws have some about 20 miles away and I wouldn’t be surprised if they land in our pasture for a short time to get their own pasture grown back up…that’s my oldest daughter’s hope!!😉

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      8. Lol horses!! I’ve never ridden a pony…and actually when we moved to this place 4 years ago the old owners had a horse that they would’ve given to us BUT my husband said no!! He calls them hay burners and he wouldn’t let us have it because they’re expensive to feed and care for

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      20. Lions!? Oh ya sure!! How about a pair?!…. actually I remember quite a few years ago we were dog sitting for my husband‘s cousin and the dog was the sweetest little thing but happened to be a Rottweiler so the neighbors were nervous about her, so much that we were questioned about her more than once…now can you imagine if some lions showed up?!!

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    2. Thank you!! It’s so easy to get distracted..and unfortunately it will only get worse, this year (2020) has been such proof…I feel for my kids once they start a family, can’t imagine how much worse it will be by then….but even my kids truly recognize the danger of our broken, fallen world and often say “I hope Jesus hurries to come back!!”

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  6. Such a memorable lesson you’ve learned from precious little Eli! I’m thankful you shared this with us. I want Eli’s persistence as I seek after God and this is the perfect reminder to do just that. Thank you, Alicia! And I hope that Eli’s seizures settle down. Love and hugs!

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      2. I completely understand!! I’m behind on reading posts and I’m really missing that!! I need to figure out a good routine in what has become a busy season of life for me!!

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    1. Ya that’s so true, I can completely relate!! We have to remember to love Him with not only all of our heart BUT also our soul, mind and strength!! So thankful for His word to encourage and guide us. ❤️

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    1. Ahhh I’ll be praying for you sweet friend!! I’m missing reading your blog and a handful of others…I got stuck in a busy season and need to fit in my blog reading time!! I’m missing it!!!!

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  9. Great post sis! Your pets live you so much. Maybe they can smell Jesus on you. Yeah, putting God first requires daily acknowledgement of my need for Him in all I do. It is a daily decision and God is helping me. Just like you, I know when I am missing it. Thanks to the Holy Spirit in us 🙏

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  13. Loved that paragraph about what should happen if we put God second: go stir crazy, become unsettled, see red warning flags. Those images made me smile but also made the point that close intimacy with our Heavenly Father will keep us from those uncomfortable circumstances. Better to stay on that perfect path instead of going exploring! Thank you for the encouragement to do so, Alicia!

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  14. Oh Alicia, I love all your super cute little pooches!! Eli is so stinkin cute. He reminds me of my Maltipoo Molly, aka Moo Moo.😂 I love how you mentioned letting other things distract our focus from Jesus, which is so needed for me right now. With all the stuff going on in the world I need to stay focused on Him and quit being upset. Love this and love you!🤗

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