Chasing Grasshoppers
By Justin March

There are many distractions when I take our dogs out for their daily walk. They get excited
when they see other dogs, they want to play with all the children, and they
sniff out every crumb and particle left behind by those who have a snack as
they travel the neighborhood sidewalks. But my favorite thing to watch, and the
act that astonishes me the most, is their non-ending pursuit of catching those
pesky flying grasshoppers.

Let’s get one thing straight. Neither Axel nor Lexi has ever captured one of
these elusive insects. As the grasshoppers hop to the right, the left,
sideways, forwards, and backwards to avoid the approaching snouts, it feels as
though they are laughing at these canines with a confident intuition that makes
them feel safe and out of reach. But no matter how futile the leaps become or
how many times their mouths end up empty, these dogs never seem to quit chasing
grasshoppers.

Is this not the kind of passion and determination God has as he tries to
encompass us with His love and forgiveness? As He watches us get distracted by
all this world has to offer, I sometimes wonder if he feels like we are hopping
to the right, the left, sideways, forwards, and backwards to avoid His will for
our lives. It may not be intentional, but it is easy for us to be led astray by
the latest media hype, the newest shiny things, or a lifestyle that allows us
to be elusive to that life God is calling us to live. But I will promise you
this. No matter how futile His reach becomes or how many times He feels like he
swings and misses, God will never stop chasing us grasshoppers.

As we do our best to
live this life the way God intended us to, we need to be cognizant of how easy
it is to avoid His approaching arms. We must understand how the distractions
guide us, we must believe He has all the answers, and we must follow Him along
the path He has provided. And as the world zigs this way and that, we must
never give up on trying to bring others closer to Him by spreading his messages
of love and peace. I know the chase seems futile at times and the opportunities
can often come up empty, but one thing we must always remember is this. The
grasshoppers will jump from side to side and back to front, but no matter how
elusive they become, God is asking us to never stop chasing them!