I hesitate to write this blog because it is yet another blog about a dog. Although I am reading scripture, praying, journaling, involved in community, and have weekly accountability meetings with a couple of men, the Lord seems to be speaking to me most clearly, at this time, during my walks across the countryside with my dog. I am not sure why that's the case, or how long it will continue, but I am afraid that my blog may have a few more "dog entries" before long.
The dog, Oreo, is growing so fast these days and is now able to climb over most of the stiles herself. It has been fun to watch her grow in size and in confidence. She is no longer completely terrified when we meet a larger dog and approaches the horses and cows we meet on her own. She even went so far as to chase a flock of sheep the other day, which she thought was great fun.
A couple of days ago I was out again with Oreo. As we walked the now familiar paths she ranged farther afield. At times she was 50-100 feet ahead of me. I smiled at her confidence, and watched as she climbed up and over a stile at the far side of the field. She looked back at me just before she dissappeared over the other side, as if to say, "Are you coming!?" When I came to the stile and looked over, she had wandered on ahead even further down the path we often take. What she didn't know is that I was going a different direction that day.
I had a different destination in mind. The beginning stages of our path were the same, but I decided to take a different path through some fields that we had never walked before. Oreo was running ahead. I enjoyed her exuberance and laughed to myself as I watched her explore. I was less amused when I was calling her to follow me but she kept to her own path.
Later on the way home, I was reminded of the danger of getting ahead of God. How often do I run on ahead assuming that the path today is the same as yesterdays? How many times to I get confused when He turns left when I thought we were going right? How many times am I impatiently looking back at Him asking, "Are you coming with me or what?!" I need to learn to fix my eyes on Him. I need to wait upon the Lord instead of assuming that the natural or familiar path is the one that He has marked for me.
As I approach the new year I am wondering about the future and what it will hold. I am hoping that this year I will not get ahead of God.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Giver of All Good Things
It is funny the way that the Spirit will just tap you on the shoulder sometimes and point out a lesson that is right in front of your face. It happened again on my walk this morning. It involved the dog again. I have been training her to respond to my command to "come" by rewarding her with a tasty treat when she does so. This has been working wonders. She has started to realize that when she obeys there is a really positive payoff. She is starting to identify me as the giver of treats, and to come when I call. I reward her for staying close to me with words and pats and with the occasional surprise from a pocket full of canine culinary delights.
I watched her this morning as she wandered father and farther away across a field. Her nose was glued to the ground. I called her. She popped her head up and looked at me. I called her again. It was as if I could see the debate in her little doggy head. Then, she took off like a rocket toward me. She was about halfway towards me when she suddenly changed directions. She shot off on a new trajectory. Soon, she had her nose down in a pile of cow manure and was munching away. I called her again, but she wasn't budging. Again, and she popped her head up and looked at me inquisitively, as if surprised that I was still there. Then, she bolted straight towards me. She received her tasty treat when she arrived, albiet more carefully than usual as I didn't want a hand smeared with cow manure from her muzzle.
I was laughing about this scene when I felt a gentle poke. I am just like the brute beast. I know that God is the giver of all good things. His pockets are bulging with things that delight me. When I draw near to Him, He is quick with a word of affirmation and is so kind to me. I love to be close to Him. But then I catch of whiff of something. I forget that He is there. I wander off in curiosity. I wonder about what this new smell might hold in store. He lets me meander and perhaps a smile drifts across His face at my inquisitiveness or my enjoyment of the field where He has led me.
Then He calls me. I become aware of Him again. I remember what it is like to be near Him and I am off like a rocket towards Him. Then, I catch a whiff of something else, and my pace towards him slakens, my concentration on Him is broken. Quicker than I know it, I am off in a different direction, forgetting the gifts that He is holding for me. He patiently, and sometimes urgently, calls me again. Oh yeah, that's where I was going! As I refocus on His face, I can hardly remember how I forgot, or how I failed to reach Him, and I am off again in pursuit of the One who loves me, the giver of all good things.
I watched her this morning as she wandered father and farther away across a field. Her nose was glued to the ground. I called her. She popped her head up and looked at me. I called her again. It was as if I could see the debate in her little doggy head. Then, she took off like a rocket toward me. She was about halfway towards me when she suddenly changed directions. She shot off on a new trajectory. Soon, she had her nose down in a pile of cow manure and was munching away. I called her again, but she wasn't budging. Again, and she popped her head up and looked at me inquisitively, as if surprised that I was still there. Then, she bolted straight towards me. She received her tasty treat when she arrived, albiet more carefully than usual as I didn't want a hand smeared with cow manure from her muzzle.
I was laughing about this scene when I felt a gentle poke. I am just like the brute beast. I know that God is the giver of all good things. His pockets are bulging with things that delight me. When I draw near to Him, He is quick with a word of affirmation and is so kind to me. I love to be close to Him. But then I catch of whiff of something. I forget that He is there. I wander off in curiosity. I wonder about what this new smell might hold in store. He lets me meander and perhaps a smile drifts across His face at my inquisitiveness or my enjoyment of the field where He has led me.
Then He calls me. I become aware of Him again. I remember what it is like to be near Him and I am off like a rocket towards Him. Then, I catch a whiff of something else, and my pace towards him slakens, my concentration on Him is broken. Quicker than I know it, I am off in a different direction, forgetting the gifts that He is holding for me. He patiently, and sometimes urgently, calls me again. Oh yeah, that's where I was going! As I refocus on His face, I can hardly remember how I forgot, or how I failed to reach Him, and I am off again in pursuit of the One who loves me, the giver of all good things.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
I love to walk across the countryside. I enjoy being out in nature with just my thoughts and my God. As I walk, I pray, and my prayers are sometimes shaped and triggered by the things that strike me as I walk. It could be a flower, the weather, something in the sky, or some kind of animal behavior. The countryside is mostly rolling farmland that gently slopes down toward the cliffs at the sea. There are well worn paths cutting through the fields and across the hedgerows. In order to cross the boundaries you have to climb over stiles. Most are made of stone and are quiet old. It has been fun to explore the various paths through the fields and along the coast.
Lately, I have had additional company in the form of our new puppy. She minds pretty well these days and has been an interesting addition. I have been training her to go over the stiles. Over the last week or so she has really be catching on. It's been amusing to have her clamor up to the top only to be stymied by the last big step. She has to wait for me to help her over the last bit. This is all well and good for now, but she will soon be too heavy for me to do this easily over the tallest stiles. However, there is a solution near at hand. There are conveniently located gates through which the livestock can be driven near these tall stiles. So, today I decided to have her go under the gates and wait for me on the otherside while I went over the stile. She already knows how to sit and to stay so I led her under the gate and told her to sit and stay while I backtracked and made my way over the stile.
Before I had made my way down the stile, there was a little face peering over the top of the stile inquisitively from the field I had just left. Instead of trusting that I was not going to leave her, she had quickly and quietly followed me back to the stile to cross over the way we always had. She repeated this behavior at the next stile as well. It seems it was just too much for her to believe that I really meant the instructions I had given her, that I wanted her to do something different than she had done before. Shea already "knew" what I wanted her to do from previous experience.
As I laughingly reflected on this talking about it alternatively with my dog and with my God, I was suddenly struck by the lesson. How often do I assume what God wants me to do instead of fixing my eyes on Him and waiting for His direction? How often do I assume that the way I have always done it is the right way, even when He seems to be directing me to do something different? Going over the stiles was the best way for the puppy when we started our walks together, but it is time for her to start learning how to do it differently. She is growing, and is ready for a new way. It will take time for her to unlearn the old way and for the new way to feel right, to become the new normal. It should be relatively easy as she is a young dog who is full of trust and a desire to please.
I wonder how easy it will be for this old dog to be trained by my Master. May I be filled with trust and a desire to please Him. May I learn to listen and not just to assume because I have "been down this path before". May I surrender my pride and self-reliance, my feeling that I know the right way. May I be willing and able to receive His direction and to follow His instructions even when they don't "feel right" as He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.
Lately, I have had additional company in the form of our new puppy. She minds pretty well these days and has been an interesting addition. I have been training her to go over the stiles. Over the last week or so she has really be catching on. It's been amusing to have her clamor up to the top only to be stymied by the last big step. She has to wait for me to help her over the last bit. This is all well and good for now, but she will soon be too heavy for me to do this easily over the tallest stiles. However, there is a solution near at hand. There are conveniently located gates through which the livestock can be driven near these tall stiles. So, today I decided to have her go under the gates and wait for me on the otherside while I went over the stile. She already knows how to sit and to stay so I led her under the gate and told her to sit and stay while I backtracked and made my way over the stile.
Before I had made my way down the stile, there was a little face peering over the top of the stile inquisitively from the field I had just left. Instead of trusting that I was not going to leave her, she had quickly and quietly followed me back to the stile to cross over the way we always had. She repeated this behavior at the next stile as well. It seems it was just too much for her to believe that I really meant the instructions I had given her, that I wanted her to do something different than she had done before. Shea already "knew" what I wanted her to do from previous experience.
As I laughingly reflected on this talking about it alternatively with my dog and with my God, I was suddenly struck by the lesson. How often do I assume what God wants me to do instead of fixing my eyes on Him and waiting for His direction? How often do I assume that the way I have always done it is the right way, even when He seems to be directing me to do something different? Going over the stiles was the best way for the puppy when we started our walks together, but it is time for her to start learning how to do it differently. She is growing, and is ready for a new way. It will take time for her to unlearn the old way and for the new way to feel right, to become the new normal. It should be relatively easy as she is a young dog who is full of trust and a desire to please.
I wonder how easy it will be for this old dog to be trained by my Master. May I be filled with trust and a desire to please Him. May I learn to listen and not just to assume because I have "been down this path before". May I surrender my pride and self-reliance, my feeling that I know the right way. May I be willing and able to receive His direction and to follow His instructions even when they don't "feel right" as He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
