Sunday Enlightenment

I started reading a book today called "The Continuous Atonement." The Atonement has always been a fascinating topic for me to study. Being raised in a different church than the LDS church, the Atonement was never truly taught. The important thing was to remember that Christ died on the cross for us. The Garden was a place where Jesus prayed, not a place where he atoned for us, all of our pains, trials, afflictions, sins and bled from every pore because the suffering was so intense. While reading this book, an analogy entered my mind. Let me start at the beginning.

Hatcher, our dog, is living in our house now. You faithful blog readers know about our children (yes those young kids of ours) figuring out while we were away that Hatcher would make a great inside dog. Actually, he has become a great indoor dog, a great companion, and a great walking buddy. However, he has one flaw that really bugs the heck out of me. He escapes. Yes, if he has the chance he will run down the driveway and down the street, up the street, back down the street--you get the picture. I can call him and call him; but he won't come. He comes back to the house when he is ready. Every time this happens, I go through the same ritual. Run out to the front of the house, call him, call him, squeak his stuffed toy, dangle his leash-no success. He comes when he is ready. I don't know how many times I have done this; but I keep going after him continually because my heart has a special place for this dog.

Now, back to the Atonement. Brad Wilcox, the author, has this to say: (think of my ritual with the dog as you read this)

"At low points we want to quit--or worse, we just stop caring altogether. Those are the moments when we need to remember there is always hope." "It is one thing to follow Christ and another thing entirely to be led by Him....a true faith in Christ is knowing that His Atonement is real, that its purpose is to transform us, and that it will be available as long as that perfecting process takes. We have a Savior who covers us, a Redeemer who changes us, and a Good Shepherd who is willing to go in search of us again and again--continuously."

"Tell me, tell of a God that won't slow down,
That will not rest till I am found.
Tell of his heart that won't let go,
His arms that long to hold me."
(words by Kenneth Cope)

"Truly our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will not rest until we are found."

I know how I would feel if Hatcher never came home. If he ran out the door, down the driveway and out in the street and never came home, I would be devastated. That is why I continually would go in search of him again and again. Now, that's how I feel about a furry, four legged creature. Can you imagine how much our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us? It is a love that cannot be measured. A love that makes them never give up on us, a love that makes them continually search for us. I am beginning to understand how the Atonement works in our lives. It is a continuous principle, its effect on us never ends, He will try to save us forever for that is how much love He has for us.

The Atonement is one continuous principle of love. If we allow the Savior to continually lead us, He will come after us if we start lagging behind or "run away". He never gives up on us.