Article April 26, 2004 Issue

Keeping close to God

By Jan Libengood

WHEN I WAS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD, our family dog, Jet, had a litter of five puppies. This was major excitement for me. I named them all and played with each one frequently. I noticed as I played with them that Jet was very watchful when I picked up one of her puppies. But she soon began to trust me just to pet it gently and put it back next to her in a few minutes. Jet was a good mother and wanted to keep her puppies safe and close to her. The puppies seemed to feel the same way. If they couldn't be next to their mom, they at least wanted to be next to each other in a tangle of legs and tails.

Many people treasure the idea of snuggling close. But the opportunity to do so can seem pretty elusive when friends and family are far away—either geographically or emotionally. The good news is that, even when we're alone, it's possible to feel snuggled up close to God.

For many years I've had a goal of letting my first thought upon awaking in the morning be one of gratitude to God for His very goodness. This is not always easy in my pre-5:00 a.m. waking moments, but I try. It helps me feel close to Him. It gets the morning off to a start and makes my day go better.

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