DOG IN FOG

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I know you’re there.

Even though I can barely see you,

I feel you tugging at my heart

As we walk this mirky path.

We’ve walked this way on sunnier days,

So I’ll trust you to lead me home.

 

Rich and Famous

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:19  NIV

I call it the “Springer spin.” It is a little two-steppin’ that comes in handy if you are walking a dog on a leash. Normally, if the dog switches the side on which he is walking, you can easily shift the leash handle from one hand to the other. But stay alert! Often, you may find yourself with an object in your other hand at the precise moment your pet decides he wants to be on the other side of the street. Then you have three options: 1. Drop the leash or the object in the other hand  (rarely a good option); 2. Hold onto both items and get tangled in the leash as he goes around you; or 3. Do the Springer spin by spinning on your heel closest to the side to which the dog is traveling (opposite heel if he is moving behind you). You will avoid getting entangled and losing control of your pet, and (bonus) you will give a nice visual to the neighbors who are watching you out of their kitchen windows!

We often encounter snags in our day for which we have not planned. We can see them as obstacles or as opportunities for a little dancing.

I pray, dear God, for you to guide my steps, my thoughts and my feelings, as I must deal with change.

 

“Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.”  Exodus 23:25  NIV

After a few days of “tummy trouble,” Famous seems to be back to a regular routine. A dog’s diet should be regular to prevent illness. But if signs of vomiting or diarrhea occur, careful monitoring should be done with awareness that a veterinarian may need to be consulted. Since I was able to be home with Famous this week, I was able to monitor his disposition and energy level and restrict his intake of food and water while looking for any signs of dehydration. If a dog has a longer sickness and unable to get back to a regular diet, then a vet visit will help identify any infection or dehydration, and you might need to try giving him a bland diet to transition back to solid foods. Examples are cooked, plain white rice, scrambled egg, cottage cheese, boiled chicken or turkey, and boiled potato.

All healing flows from the Lord.

Grant me healing of body and mind throughout today.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:6-9  ESV

With Famous enduring a bout of illness this week, he has needed me to spend more time with him. For the most part his energy has remained good, but he has napped a little more. I have tended to the needs he could not manage himself with patience and love. Last night I allowed him to sleep in the coveted position next to me in bed rather than at the foot of the bed. It made me appreciate even this moment as a joyful one, understanding he will not be beside me forever.

They can be tough, but I try to appreciate the days which come along and change your perspective. No one likes disease or suffering. And yet I see people almost every day who face major brain surgery. Whether they have a full recovery or not, their lives have hit a road block, or at best a detour, and suddenly there is a new normal.

I believe joy and peace go hand-in-hand. True joy is not being giddy. True peace is not emotionless. In facing a crisis we can find a path of strength that is forged from the awareness that God is in control, despite the world falling apart around us.

Show me the steadiness of Your presence even if today brings suffering and pain.

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”  Ephesians 6:11  NLT

It was one of those days where little would be accomplished. Setbacks and unexpected events came one after the other until it was obvious I needed a new game plan. Famous was not to blame, but he needed more attention than most days. And even though I was glad to be spending the day with him, I found myself irritated that he would need me most just as I was in the middle of a delicate task.

We all have those days. Days that would confound and try us and work to rob us of the joy which is our inheritance. And it can happen quite quickly. Our disappointments and failures can overshadow the happiness that once ruled our hearts. We can give in to the evil indulgences of self-pity and doubt and forget the victory which is ours.

But take heart! God has not left us defenseless. The mere calling of his Name can restore freedom from evil, sorrow, and fear. Famous serves as a reminder of the One who gives life. All will be accomplished in God’s time.

Teach me not to despair when evil darkens my path.

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“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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“To live is to be useful to others.”

Seneca

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  John 1:5  NLT

It is the darkest time of the year. It is the time when you very much appreciate the light and warmth of home and spend extra time preparing for the dark and chill of the long nights enveloping our regular pet excursions. It is also a time to remember pleasant fall hikes and begin planning for spring tours.

I have tried various creative ways of bringing artificial light to our path during these months. Most of them worked on the principle of making me or Famous visible to others. Inevitably, there were shorted circuits or short battery lives. My last resort was using the flashlight application on my smart phone when light was absolutely necessary. Still, juggling a light, a leash, a trash bag, AND a dog would often be a test of my juggling ability.

I happened across a sale table soon after Christmas which has given me a new solution. It is an LED headlamp that slips onto your head or over a cap. Not designed necessarily for dog walkers, I have been very pleased with its performance. It provides a bright light to get the attention of oncoming traffic. And it illuminates Famous as he walks several feet in front of me. The very best part is it has hands-free operation, so it is safer to manage Famous on his leash and can still illuminate the ground in front of me.

When we shine God’s light into the world, let us remember more so than a beacon for others to see us in our walk, it is a gift and tool for helping us find our way along God’s path.

Shine Your light around me, Lord, that I might follow in Your steps through the darkness. 

God got a dog

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She never meant to.

She liked dogs, She’d

like them ever since She was a kid,

but She didn’t think

She had time for a dog now.

She was always working

and dogs needed so

much attention.

God didn’t know if She

could take being needed

by one more thing.

But She saw this dog

out by the tracks

and it was hungry

and cold

and lonely

and God realized

She’d made that dog

somehow,

somehow She was responsible

though She knew logically

that She had only set the

world on its course.

She couldn’t be blamed

for everything.

But She saw this dog

and She felt bad

so She took it home

and named it Ernie.

and now God…

has somebody

keeping Her feet warm at night.

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–Cynthia Rylant, from the book, God got a dog, Birch Lane Books, New York.

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”  Matthew 18:23-35  NIV

It is far too easy to forget the generosity of our heavenly Father. Famous tends not to forget the provisions I provide for him. Because he expects me to be generous and grant him daily meals, he instinctively respects me and shares his life with me.

A saying which comes to mind is “don’t bite the hand which feeds you.” I see this on the rare occasion when I give Famous a bite of peanut butter (but never one using artificial sweeteners). I will get about a teaspoon worth of the sticky concoction on the end of my index finger and offer it to him. He will clean my finger with his tongue and gums never biting me in the process with his sharp teeth. He knows that hand will need to provide for him in the future.

If we ignore or offend the generous God who seeks to bless us, we are the ones separating ourselves from his graciousness. May we come to expect his loving provision in our daily lives.

Prove to me Your love today, O God, as You have each and every day. Help me to receive it in humility so that I might be gracious to others.

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”  Luke 17:7  NLT

Our lives are filled with responsibility and duty. For Famous, my arrival in the evening holds two expectations. The first is that he will have an opportunity to go outside for exercise and relief. The second is that he will be fed. (No wonder I am greeted with such enthusiasm!)

In many ways this is my duty to fulfill these expectations. I do them out of love for Famous knowing his needs come first when I get home. Does he wait for me to feed myself and then give him leftovers? No! Does he thank me for what has become an expectation in our daily interactions? No. Is there a measure of gratitude for the companionship he gives me? Yes.

We must honor God with selfless service throughout the day, watching for moments when our service will be called forth. Only then can He become Lord of our hearts, and only then can He give us the life and rewards that He has in store.

Teach me to be your honored servant today, O Lord.