Like many, I have been grieving over all the bullets flying.  Bullets made with lead. Bullets made with words. Both wounding, maiming, destroying.  Seems to be increasing.  The murders. The hate. The protests. The terror.  What’s one to do?

I say, act like a dog . . .

Yesterday morning as I lay in bed with the sun just beginning to shine through the east windows, I heard the thunder of four little feet tearing up the stairs.  Todd no sooner opened the front door letting our Yellow Lab and our Yorkie inside when the Yorkie, Baker, raced into our room and propelled his little body like a bullet onto our bed.

Before I had a chance to cover my head with the sheet, his little pink tongue gave my face a good washing. Then, he flopped his body down beside me, in “spooning” position, his back to my chest, and pushed himself into me as close as he possibly could. When he was content with his position and I had wrapped my left arm around him, he stretched his neck out, looked straight into my eyes, and sighed.  Seriously.

Now that’s SERIOUS BLISS, for both woman and dog.

I didn’t want to move. I wanted to soak up all his love, shot upon me by a 13 pound bullet of a dog. And I thought how the world might change if we’d all start letting love bullets fly straight out of our hearts, our mouths, our hands. How instead of worrying or joining the chorus of complainers, how instead of becoming a bunch of haters, we might actually expand the kingdom of God by spraying bullets of love everywhere.  Wild, untamed, LOVE. What would this look like?

The most effective weapon in the world is the one we often forget to use.  So I’m reminding myself today . . .

PRAY.  Pray for ourselves . . .

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.  Psalm 51:10-12.

PRAY.  Pray for everyone.  Everyone.  Even terrorists and bad cops and rabble rousers and and political candidates you can’t stand.  Refrain from speaking ill of anyone, even yourself.  Remember that God loves ALL and wants NONE to perish but ALL to come to repentance.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you . . . Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  Luke 6:27-28,31

PRAY.  At all times.  When we live our lives in accordance with God’s word, moment-by-moment, our life IS a prayer.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  Ephesians 6:18 

If we’re praying for our own and each other’s greatest good, we will be loving others as Jesus commands.

So let the bullets of LOVE spray!  PRAY!  And then let the rest of you fly like a Baker-bullet.

Be bold!  Jump up!  Get close!  Let others be blown away as we pray and love as Christ, shot straight through us, bringing life from death by the mighty power of our crucified and resurrected Jesus, our true Lord of lords and our forever King of kings.

Can you see this bliss?

Catch the vision.  Pass it on.