One of the great contemporary teachers on Christian spirituality, Father Richard Rohr, was interviewed recently, having just turned 80. Much of the conversation covered ideas expressed in his many books, but Rohr also spent a good while talking about his dog, Opie - a 4 year old adopted Jack Russell cross. It was so striking to hear in his voice the profound joy that this little animal gives him. Rohr says that Opie just wants to be where he is and that if he were to wake the dog at 3am, Opie would be absolutely delighted to get up and go somewhere with his master.
Rohr says Opie is a picture of how we are called to be with God. What joy we must give God when we want to be where our Master is! More than that, it is only when we invite God into all we do that we will see his power at work in us. Jesus said that "without me you can do nothing" and the psalmist writes that "unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain".