Going Home

Vacation is wonderful.  The fun, the relaxation, and often a lot of delicious food makes us all look forward to time away from The Grind of our "ordinary" life.  Most everyone is happy when they are on vacation.

When owners come back from their trips to pick up their dog(s), EVERY dog is ecstatic to see their owner and go HOME.  Case in point:  Brutus

Isn't that a great picture?

Probably just over half of the dogs that stay at the kennel treat it like puppy camp.  They play, they get special treats, they play, they get special treats.  But more than anything, they want to be home and be with their people.

And as fabulous and distracting as vacation is, life is meant to be lived in the ordinary.  When we return to home, to laundry, to bills, we truly reveal our character. 

The Lord loves our vacation selves, but He also loves our ordinary selves.  He cares about the details that drive us crazy.  He can provide the power and wisdom we so often need to push through what can be drudgery, or simply "not fun."

Now that most people are on "back to school" schedules, we return to our ordinary life and our ordinary selves.  Make it a good one.  If you find that difficult, call on the One who makes the ordinary extraordinary, and often supernatural.

Not Getting This One Back

This is Tyson (hi Tyson!).  During Tyson's recent stay at the kennel, he found one of Tilly's toys while we were out for a walk around the yard.

Once he picked it up, he didn't want to let it go.

Tilly saw him.  I don't know if she realized this was her ball, since she'd been "waiting" in the kennel with the other dogs who were out stretching their legs.  However, Tyson would not drop the ball.  Eventually, I distracted him with a particularly tempting treat.  Tilly had her ball back but Tyson was without.  He had a toy from home, but you know how that is....

We don't want what we have because we are busy wanting what someone else has.  The whole "grass is greener" syndrome.  Covet, covet, covet!

Is the reason that God tells us not to covet because He wants to control us or because He knows that spending time and energy wanting something else can destroy us?  I'm betting on the latter.  When I am busy focusing on the "perfect" thing/relationship/job/etc. someone else has gratefulness flies out the window.  What about what God's current provision?  Can I be thankful for it?  And is it really much better?  Who's with me.....anyone else have this lack of reflection and gratefulness?

Like Tyson, we often can't pick up the blessing that is ours because we are busy holding onto the idea of what SHOULD be ours.  Let it go.  Wait, I think there's a song in there somewhere.

"Drop it!" 

Then pick up something better.  Pick up what God has given you.

Water Everywhere, but not a Drop to Drink

Fresh potable water is vital to human, animal, and plant life.

Summer is a busy time in the kennel, and occasionally the water in my own pets' water bowls is low as I'm focused on the paying customers' bowls.  If this is the case, a certain bossy cat named Olive (who is also a little senile) brings it to my attention with very low, insistent yowls.

Perhaps I should be grateful that I have a "helper" to remind me of my duties.  Mostly, it's just annoying.

Yet we all need water.  If  you live or were passing through Toledo the first weekend in August, it was a little scary as people were without safe water.  Suddenly, we all appreciate the necessity of it.  It was so easy to get before, open the tap, water fills the glass, you're set.  Suddenly, this wasn't the case.  Speaking of "case", cases of water were gone within hours of the notice.  Restaurants closed for the day, even the Zoo was unable to open.

We take water for granted.  I don't know about you, but I do the same thing to Jesus.  Yes, Jesus.  I was fortunate enough to grow up with the knowledge of him always in the background of my childhood.  When I went through religiously affiliated junior high, high school, and college, I still thought about him - I mean, it wasn't like he was going anywhere.

But then I had a crisis.  I realized I needed the Living Water that Jesus called himself.  I needed refreshment from pain, and I needed the life-sustaining flow of the rescue only Jesus could provide.  I took Jesus for granted.  Fortunately, realizing my mistake and repenting, I found Jesus was right there, waiting as I ran to him.

Since then, I don't take Jesus for granted.  Every day I remind myself of the thirst only Jesus can quench.

As I write this, the rain falls, refreshing the plants and crops that need it for growth.  The farmers don't take rain for granted.  The people in Toledo don't take drinking water for granted.  And we should all remember (or find out for the first time), how only Jesus offers us the flow of cooling, life giving water for eternity.

And, you may want to throw a case or two of drinking water in the basement.  Just in case.

Don't Put Your Head in the Sand

Recently, Tilly has developed a fixation with drain pipes and sewer grates.  I mean, VERY fixated:

Do you get up in the morning, turn on your media of choice, and have the same general reaction?  "Make it go away!"  "Stop with the conflict!"  It's much easier to bury our head in the sand than try to make sense of the world when it has careened into chaos.

The good news is, we don't have to make sense of it.  No, this isn't an argument to adopt an attitude of "Fiddle-dee-dee, God's in control."  While that IS true, sometimes we have to listen to what is happening and recognize that there are many broken people breaking things and making it worse.  Sometimes we have to let our hearts break too.  How else can we relate and build relationships to people who need to find peace and rest?  If we know the God of Good News, we can share it.

It may not change the world, but it may change theirs a little bit.  And yours too.

Little Dog Power

Sometimes the big dogs out number the little dogs at the kennel.  But not recently.  This was the nicest and happiest little group I've had for a while.

It's easy to feel intimidated when you're among the big dogs.  They loom large and bark loudly.  One might feel lost in the shuffle.

However, I know where these little guys are, even if they feel lost.  When they are among friends, they have more confidence and feel more assured of their place in the world.

When we look at the news in the world, we may be tempted to feel despair, wondering how our little lives matter in this great big world.  If we are fortunate, we find some friends that are willing to huddle with us, bearing the storm together. 

Most importantly, we remember that God knows where we are, even if we're running among the big dogs.

Growing Into Your Life

It's fun to watch puppies, especially the large breeds.  Their paws are huge and the pups often trip right over them.  Often when they are at the kennel for more than a few days, I will go out in the morning and notice they are bigger.  When the owner returns, they notice immediately that their little darling is growing up.

When we view our lives as gifts from God, with the burdens and blessings that includes, we can walk calmly at the pace God wants.  But do we?  I mean, don't WE want to dash forward, tripping over ourselves with our own plans?  Don't we want to use our OWN gifts the way WE want to?

Is it possible that life is not .....gasp....about US?

Is it possible that the tough circumstances and burdens we face may be for the benefit of others, not ourselves?  Is God glorified according to HIS purposes even when we suffer greatly?  Can we honestly say "yes" to that?

If you are out walking your dog and a car comes hurling at you, I bet you would rather take the hit over your dog.  And if you have children, you would rather suffer FOR your child rather than your child experiencing pain.  This is what Jesus did for us.  How can we not be grateful?  How can we not...someday...be able to say you'd do the same for someone else?  Someone maybe you haven't met.  Maybe even someone you don't like - even an enemy.

But how can we do it?  Even if we wanted to, wouldn't we be seen as crazy to others?  Experience suffering for no reason or endure our personal hardship for the sake of someone else's walk with God?  Only through God's grace and strength can we do this.  Only God can infuse our souls with His love to care enough to endure.  Only through God's strength can we finish the walk he's given us.  And we don't get answer to "why" each time either.

That's God's radical plan right there.  Those are some big paws to grow into.  But you can do it, one step at a time.

Step on It

We tend to rush through our days, particularly those tasks that are mundane and we know how to do with little thought.

The last couple of weeks at the kennel has been insanely busy.  I was reminded to slow down.

By a giant paw on my foot:

This is Maggie (hi Maggie).  She's been here before and is a pretty easy dog, requiring little care.  It would be easy to breeze by her with a quick freshening of the water and a treat.

What Maggie really wants is love.  She is the Velcro type of dog that always has to have some part of her touching you, either by leaning on your legs so you can't move or stepping on your foot.

It is a reminder I needed.  Part of the fun of this job is petting the dogs and seeing the wag of their tails.  In fact, sometimes that is the ONLY fun there is!

It's made me wonder how much other important moments I miss by not slowing down and enjoying the quiet easy moments.  And how can I hear God's still voice if I'm making a racket?

What about you?  What lessons have you learned by keeping a slower pace?