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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