Jane arose early and leaving a snoring Richard in bed headed to the living room.  She picked up her Bible and opened it to the text they were studying for mid-week Bible study.  “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”  Matthew 5:48.  “Perfect?!  I’d love to be perfect,” thought Jane, “but I always seem to mess up.  How do I get to be perfect like the Bible says I should?”  Just then their  new little beagle puppy, Henry, who they had brought  home just a few days before crawled out of his bed and tumbled on over to see Jane.  She picked him up and smelled his puppy fur and sweet puppy breath.  Ah, he was so cute.  Then she looked in to his face and saw how much he resembled his mother and father who they had met when they picked him up from the kennel. 

Suddenly the light went on for Jane.  Little Henry didn’t think about acting like a beagle or worry about looking like a beagle because he was a beagle.  He was born a beagle.  When she had accepted God as her father she would become like Him; look like Him and act like Him.  She sat down and read two more texts.  “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever”  Psalm 138:18.  She finished her morning reading with Philippians 2:13;  “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  She put down her Bible and looked up just in time to see her sweet puppy leave a puddle on the floor.