Shoulder Rolls
Read Isaiah 30:21
For some reason whenever Charlie asks for a Lenten Devotion, my thoughts turn to our dog, Toby. Being from a suburban community is hard on a dog of Toby’s nature who is built to run, so most Friday late afternoons I meet Heidi and Diane Martin with their dogs Kooder and Bonnie (Toby’s good and perhaps only dog friends) at church. At the back of the property the dogs can be supervised off-leash to roam and sniff.
As soon as the phone call from Heidi comes, Toby starts whining in anticipation and pretty much continues all the way to church (good thing it’s a short ride). He leaps from the car, delighted to explore and run for the joy of running – it’s a beautiful thing to watch. The dogs chase the occasional rabbit or squirrel, and one time they even cornered a possum. Once in a while they stray from the property and have to be reminded where they belong (Kooder is amazingly adept at “selective hearing”).
Too often for my taste, Toby engages in what Dave and I now refer to as the “shoulder roll”, which involves rubbing and rolling in the most obnoxious-smelling thing he can find on the ground. This necessitates a humbling ride home banished to the “back-end” of the car with the windows open and an inevitable bath. Ironically, this situation brings to my mind our relationship with God. He gives us the free will to explore and shares our joy. Sometimes we stray, and He calls us back to the right path.
Even when we make bad mistakes, He is there to wash away our sin and guide us back to where we belong. Praise God and give thanks for His many blessings!
Sue DeWitt
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