This morning I am walking the dog. When we left the house, he bolts out the door and takes off in a sprint to the yard. His tail is wagging and he is completely alert, looking here and there. As we walked, I was praying. At times, the dog stops at a bush to check it out. I sometimes laugh because he wants to raise his leg and mark everything in sight...and I often ask him, "how much pee do you have?". At some point, I think it is just the act of lifting the leg even when there is nothing left to mark with. I dunno. I am not a dog. Anyway, the point I am actually trying to get to was that at one bush he stopped but he seemed to be there for a long time. I stopped, looked back, and wondered...where did he go? All of a sudden, far off, he comes out of the tall grass and is running back to me. He approaches and runs right past me. I said, "where are you going?". He stops, looks back and I said, "come here". He comes back and sits. "Good dog", I am thinking to myself.
It was at that moment, I said, Lord, isn't this just like you and me? If you are me and I am the dog, isn't it an amazing picture of how life is with you?
I begin walking and the dog is walking by my side. Every once in a while, he quickly glances up and me and keeps on walking...as if to say, I am just making sure you are there. I went on to say, isn't it just like me to be walking with you and periodically taking the moment to take a glance at you, just making sure I am walking with my master? As I give a command to the dog saying this way or that, it is like you to say, this way or that. How do I respond? Just like my dog LOL. (to be clear, my beloved dog doesn't listen with 100% perfection. When attentive, he responds well.)
Sometimes, the dog sees something and runs ahead. He is excited, happy, and wants to go forward. But, now that he is older and more disciplined, he stops and waits for me. Isn't that like me sometimes with you God? I am excited in what you are doing and where I think you are going so; I take off running...saying Yes! Lord, let's go! I take off running only to find out when I stop and look back that you went a different direction. I either did not hear or ignored your call to go this way or that. I have to come back and course correct in order to walk with my master. My dog is a cairn terrier... a 20ish pound rodent dog. Bunnies (like squirrels) trigger something in him and he is off to the races. Suddenly, a bunny is spooked and runs right past the dog. I saw his body lunge forward but instead of taking off in a wild chase, he held himself back and continued to walk with me. Isn't it interesting Lord the times I see something and want to run after it but instead, through discipline, hold the course. Isn't it funny at times the dog is walking with me and suddenly stops because the bush had a draw to it. The dog stops and does his thing. At some point, he knows it is time to move on and get back to his master. Isn't that just like me sometimes in my walk with you. You say, we are going this way and you are walking. I see some kind of life distraction and just stop. There is some kind of draw that causes me to stop and check out what is going on. At some point, I have to leave the distraction if I am going to walk with you. Isn't it just like you God, to stop and look back and say, where are you John? Come on...we need to keep moving forward. In order to walk with you, may I be more like my dog and run to you in order to be able to walk by your side.
I am thankful for the simple pictures and parallels God uses to speak to me by showing me these kinds of similarities. The simple act of walking the dog and the interaction between me and my pet isn't really that much different than God and me.
When my dog runs ahead or lags behind, sometimes I allow for a lot of leeway. Other times, I keep the dog closer to me, especially when there is a clear and present danger. Is it too much of a reach that God watches over and walks with me in much of the same manner. He knows there are times I am excited and run ahead. Sometimes He smiles and allows me to run ahead. Sometimes He knows there is danger and pulls me back. He knows there are times I will get distracted. My hope is he doesn't always yell at me like I yell at the dog when he tries my patience. But really, look at the scriptures. God says that the people tried his patience. To those who are His, He disciplines. He does so not because He hates us but because of his unending love for us.
As I reflect on the walk this morning and what I have shared, may I be motivated to walk with my master with desire, motivation, and discipline. May I learn to enjoy just walking with Him and glance at Him often, just like my dog does when he is walking with me.
Grace and peace to you all from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I begin walking and the dog is walking by my side. Every once in a while, he quickly glances up and me and keeps on walking...as if to say, I am just making sure you are there. I went on to say, isn't it just like me to be walking with you and periodically taking the moment to take a glance at you, just making sure I am walking with my master? As I give a command to the dog saying this way or that, it is like you to say, this way or that. How do I respond? Just like my dog LOL. (to be clear, my beloved dog doesn't listen with 100% perfection. When attentive, he responds well.)
Sometimes, the dog sees something and runs ahead. He is excited, happy, and wants to go forward. But, now that he is older and more disciplined, he stops and waits for me. Isn't that like me sometimes with you God? I am excited in what you are doing and where I think you are going so; I take off running...saying Yes! Lord, let's go! I take off running only to find out when I stop and look back that you went a different direction. I either did not hear or ignored your call to go this way or that. I have to come back and course correct in order to walk with my master. My dog is a cairn terrier... a 20ish pound rodent dog. Bunnies (like squirrels) trigger something in him and he is off to the races. Suddenly, a bunny is spooked and runs right past the dog. I saw his body lunge forward but instead of taking off in a wild chase, he held himself back and continued to walk with me. Isn't it interesting Lord the times I see something and want to run after it but instead, through discipline, hold the course. Isn't it funny at times the dog is walking with me and suddenly stops because the bush had a draw to it. The dog stops and does his thing. At some point, he knows it is time to move on and get back to his master. Isn't that just like me sometimes in my walk with you. You say, we are going this way and you are walking. I see some kind of life distraction and just stop. There is some kind of draw that causes me to stop and check out what is going on. At some point, I have to leave the distraction if I am going to walk with you. Isn't it just like you God, to stop and look back and say, where are you John? Come on...we need to keep moving forward. In order to walk with you, may I be more like my dog and run to you in order to be able to walk by your side.
I am thankful for the simple pictures and parallels God uses to speak to me by showing me these kinds of similarities. The simple act of walking the dog and the interaction between me and my pet isn't really that much different than God and me.
When my dog runs ahead or lags behind, sometimes I allow for a lot of leeway. Other times, I keep the dog closer to me, especially when there is a clear and present danger. Is it too much of a reach that God watches over and walks with me in much of the same manner. He knows there are times I am excited and run ahead. Sometimes He smiles and allows me to run ahead. Sometimes He knows there is danger and pulls me back. He knows there are times I will get distracted. My hope is he doesn't always yell at me like I yell at the dog when he tries my patience. But really, look at the scriptures. God says that the people tried his patience. To those who are His, He disciplines. He does so not because He hates us but because of his unending love for us.
As I reflect on the walk this morning and what I have shared, may I be motivated to walk with my master with desire, motivation, and discipline. May I learn to enjoy just walking with Him and glance at Him often, just like my dog does when he is walking with me.
Grace and peace to you all from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
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