I have enjoyed slowing down over the last few days, enjoying my family and some quieter moments on my own. I’ve enjoyed some reading and some long walks with Sara and the dogs and some of our other family in the woods near my parents’ home and in our neighborhood.
Sheba is our newest dog. She’s a lop-eared Shepherd/Lab cross with an exuberant spirit—sometimes too exuberant. Even though she has severe dysplasia in her hips and has pain from time to time she is the happiest dog we have ever owned. She’s not real bright, but she is always smiling, always ready to do something fun and a joy to be around. Well, most of the time.
The thing I hate most to do with this dog is take her for a walk. We’re trying to teach her not to pull on the lead, but simply walk along with us. Even though we’ve got one of those 16-foot retractable leashes, she constantly strains to get beyond it. It’s as if she can’t wait to get to the next place. But when she gets there she is already trying to get to the next one. It’s nuts, really. She can’t enjoy any place she is at the moment, because she’s always trying to get somewhere else. And if she spots another dog, it’s all over. She won’t listen to reason at all until the dog is out of sight.
As I grew impatient with her last night on a long walk with Sara, calling Sheba back again and again and again from pulling on the lead, I realized she is more like me than I care to admit. Only in the last few years have I begun to learn to live contentedly in Father’s work in my life. Most of my spiritual life I have strained against Jesus’ presence in my life. I have always tried to push him on to something else instead of staying in the moment with him, knowing that he is taking me on in his time, not mine.
It made me think how much more fun it would be to walk with Sheba if she stayed alongside me. Her constant straining against the lead and pulling at my arm gets tiresome and frustrating. I wonder if that’s been true for Jesus in my walk with him. I sense somehow that though he is patient with our impatience, he is indeed blessed when we learn to trust him enough not to pull him where we want to go, but to find contentedness by just being with him wherever he wants to take us.
And I wonder if that’s what David was thinking when he wrote: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.†Psalm 32:8-9
Contentedness is a great gift in this kingdom. It isn’t the same as complacency. It is going on with him, but allowing him to set that agenda, not trying to control it ourselves. I would love to come to the place where he needs no leash with me because I’m never further than a few feet from
Wayne i loved that..and i must admit i love your writting style.However sometimes when its very general i cant tell what you mean by things like going ahead of God oir being ilcontent with were He is leading etc…..its hard for me to see what that means since it is sometimes general.I dont know, i would love it if you used some personal examples once in a while sometimes too..that would make your writtings that are already fantastic absolutly AWESOME!!!Again i have been so very blessed by this forum and continue to grow right along with you and Brad…
Love,Dom
Wayne i loved that..and i must admit i love your writting style.However sometimes when its very general i cant tell what you mean by things like going ahead of God oir being ilcontent with were He is leading etc…..its hard for me to see what that means since it is sometimes general.I dont know, i would love it if you used some personal examples once in a while sometimes too..that would make your writtings that are already fantastic absolutly AWESOME!!!Again i have been so very blessed by this forum and continue to grow right along with you and Brad…
Love,Dom
THANKS I NEEDED THAT!!
THANKS I NEEDED THAT!!
Thanks for sharing this Wayne! I love it when God uses things like “dogs,” to show us who we are and who he is. I understood exactly what you were saying and wanted to shout out a resounding YES! Someone understands where we’ve been.. I’ve come to understand that embracing, swimming in, basking in the NOW is crucial in my journey. We’ve been told all of our christian life that God was going to use us in a “BIG” way. I embraced that, believed that and have marched through my life the past few years pressing toward it and not enjoying where we are right now. Now I realized that I am like your sweet dog. Running to the next thing and not looking at right now.. Thank you for sharing this.
Looking forward to your visit to St. Louis!
God Bless you and Happy New Year!
Thanks for sharing this Wayne! I love it when God uses things like “dogs,” to show us who we are and who he is. I understood exactly what you were saying and wanted to shout out a resounding YES! Someone understands where we’ve been.. I’ve come to understand that embracing, swimming in, basking in the NOW is crucial in my journey. We’ve been told all of our christian life that God was going to use us in a “BIG” way. I embraced that, believed that and have marched through my life the past few years pressing toward it and not enjoying where we are right now. Now I realized that I am like your sweet dog. Running to the next thing and not looking at right now.. Thank you for sharing this.
Looking forward to your visit to St. Louis!
God Bless you and Happy New Year!
God is growing us all..thanks so much brother for your wonderful posting!
God is growing us all..thanks so much brother for your wonderful posting!
I don’t think that I know anyone personally that could not benefit from the wisdom in this post. Thanks Wayne.
I don’t think that I know anyone personally that could not benefit from the wisdom in this post. Thanks Wayne.