Missing a dog...

I am missing a dog….missing a cold nose that nuzzled my arm when I was engaged on the computer or holding a book I was attempting to read…..missing that unique “aarrgghh” that expressed a myriad of wants or needs, but mostly just the desire for attention, and, sometimes, woke us up way too early in the morning. I am missing a dog….those big brown eyes looking over the window ledge to confirm I was arriving home….and that wagging tail drumming delight at the anticipation of a walk or the chance to play fetch with just about anything. I am missing a dog….who could not greet me at the door without presenting a gift….usually one of my shoes. I even miss the many walks required at inconvenient times, often in the cold and rain…. walks that provided opportunity to get to know my neighbors as never before. I am missing a dog….whose sweet spirit drew complete strangers, and countless children, to ask if they could come and pet her whenever we visited a park. I am so grateful to our daughter and grandchildren who allowed us to be Toby’s “foster parents” while they lived in Australia for a year. Having her helped us feel connected to them while they were so far away. Our hearts were warmed to hear the delighted squeals of our grandchildren as they arrived home and were reunited with their beloved dog. That, after all, had been our goal in keeping Toby for the year until their return. I am so happy to know we will see her often, happily back home with her loving family, but it won’t quite be the same…..it’s quieter here now, and I don’t have to vacuum as often, we can even sleep in on weekends…but I can’t help missing a dog….

 

A personal reflection…

Preparing for a major overseas trip, I ordered some travel items from Rick Steves, the travel guru.  One item was a small, yellow, toiletries bag.  I love that little bag….it can hold all the necessary items for a trip (in 3 ounce containers, of course).  When you unzip the front, it has a hook so you can hang it anywhere for easy access.  And on that zippered front is a small mirror attached by Velcro.  Actually, the mirror was the only disappointment.   It was very foggy and not very useful, especially in low light.  I didn’t think much about it, except that I would have expected better quality from the travel expert.  Not long after returning from the trip, I noticed the mirror was pealing around the edges.  Wow, this is really cheap, I thought.  But before throwing it away, I pulled on a curled edge and, much to my surprise, a thin plastic sheet came off the mirror revealing clearly the stupefied expression on my face.  It had never occurred to me that the mirror might have a protective covering.  After a few moments of feeling really, really dumb, I began to reflect (pun intended…)

How often is my view of others, of events, of knowledge, even of God, distorted because my understanding is clouded.  Is it possible to pull away the veil that obscures true perception?  In Ephesians 1:17-18, Paul speaks about the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that opens the “eyes of your heart.” 2 Peter 1:19 refers to the “word” being like a light shining in a dark place.  In the context of the supremacy of love, Paul explains in I Corinthians 13:12 “now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then (when we are made perfect in love) we shall see face to face. “

The veil over my heart is not something I can remove by myself.  It continuously clouds my perceptions, causing me to misjudge motives, to think the worst rather than the best of others, to envy, become boastful (in my mind if not in my words) and even to doubt God.  All of these things, I hate.  But the Bible tells me, it is only by God’s Spirit, His Word, and His love perfected in us, that the veil can be torn away.  It is a wonderful thing to see clearly, because, when we do, the reflection we see more closely resembles Christ (Ephesians 4:23).  Now there’s something to reflect upon…

An Awesome Travelling Companion

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV). Thinking about this verse over the years, I have often wondered what it meant to “acknowledge Him.” The Hebrew word is yaw-dah, meaning to know or “ascertain by seeing.” The word has many implications, including close relationship as with a” familiar friend” or “kinsman” and “to know” and “make known.” The word “trust” in this verse is batach, meaning to be confident, secure, sure. To paraphrase it in my own words,” Be completely confident in the Lord. In all your plans, include Him as you would your dearest friend. Because He is included in everything you do, He will be your guide, even when you don’t understand the route.”

I’ve just returned from the trip of a lifetime. My husband and I travelled to Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand over the course of a month. Our daughter and three wonderful grandchildren are living in Melbourne for a year while my son-in-law completes a work opportunity there. To my husband, this seemed the perfect time to fulfill a life-long dream to visit these wonderful places, while spending cherished time with our grandchildren. I cannot think of the trip without thinking of Ephesians 3:20, because it exceeded our expectations in every way. The month was filled with adventure, including an ATV excursion on the island of Moorea, a helicopter ride over the Great Ocean Road of Australia, a walk-about in the Australian bush, a guided horseback tour in the wilderness of New Zealand, a cruise through the fjords of Milford Sound, a gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak overlooking Queenstown and beautiful Lake Wakatipu, a delightful visit to Hobbit town, a trek around the thermal mud pots and geysers of Rotorua…. All in all we covered nearly 24,000 miles, and spent nearly 48 hours in the air. What is particularly impressive to me about this remarkable trip is that I really wasn’t looking forward to travelling for a month, and the thought of flying such long distances made me anxious. Even short trips in the air made me apprehensive. Gratefully, I can state those things in the past tense. While planning the trip, I decided to take Proverbs 3:5-6 to heart, believe it and live it. As we worked on our itinerary, I spread it all out before the Lord in prayer. I talked to Him about what our plans and hopes were, and asked Him to be in every detail. I also asked Him to turn my fears into joyful anticipation (Psalm 34: 4-5). He kept His promise…..He directed our paths (on land and in the air!), and even the occasional glitch in our plans turned out to be for the best. And all the while, I felt I was sharing the adventure with my “Familiar Friend.” What an awesome travelling Companion!!