Yep, I'm expecting that lightning bolt any minute.
One day I am going to write a book on Canine Theology. It will be all the lessons about God that I've learnt from my Little Black Dog. As distinct from the things the LBD does where I'm fairly certain that there is no lesson about God. Like eating manure.
So often my time with the LBD is doing stuff. We go for a walk. I feed him. I bath him. He sits in the back corner of my office and sleeps as I work. We used to play in the backyard, but tug of war and balls are out due to possibility of leg injury these days.
Today I went down to give him his breakfast and he wasn't interested, he followed me back to the steps. So I sat down on the second step and gave him a cuddle and patted him and we just hung out together for 10 minutes or so. He looked at me and I ran my fingers through his full, thick coat. I enjoyed it. He enjoyed it. Neither of us was doing anything 'constructive'.
So often my Christian walk is like that. I do things with and for God. I get busy. I should spend more time just hanging out with Him. He would enjoy it. I would enjoy it. Despite the fact that neither of us would be doing anything 'constructive'.
The odd thing was that during my 'official' time out for prayer this morning my stillness seemed to be swamped by my mind remembering all the things I have to do today (and for that matter this week and month). I wonder if the LBD is aware of being used as an angel (the original Greek means messenger) from God?
What are the chances that 'constructive' things will recede in importance to make way for simply hanging out unless I actually try to make it happen?
... Approximately None.
Joy with my new garden
3 days ago
5 comments:
A friend of mine had a pretty bad bout of depression a few years ago and all her anxieties seem to come out in her prayers - "Why won't you fix this, God? And what about this? And where are you anyway? And - " It was all very frantic. Her minister at the time visited one day and said, "I want you to STOP PRAYING. If you have any prayer requests give them to me and I'll pray for you. Right now what you need to do is just hang out in the back of the boat with Jesus and let him do the steering."
Although I don't necessarily recommend ceasing all prayer, sometimes it's good just to hang out in the back of the boat with Jesus. When Jesus was in the garden before he died he didn't say to the disciples, "Come with me and talk to me"; he simply said, "Stay with me."
I love just hanging out with God.
I like that message, and Femina's comment too. Thanks for the linky love! Proverbs 26:11 comes to mind - there's much to be learned from dogs.
great post. Great message.
So easy to let that happen. Really great to hear. Enjoying your blog by the way!
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