Tethered
I have to wonder if I am different than most people... I know that sets me up for a multitude of jokes but humor me if you will. When I look at things in the world - when I notice something - I don't just see that thing, I contemplate it. It's like I look beyond the surface - the one dimensionality of the thing - and consider it. For instance if I notice a yard sale sign I don't just see the words and the address, I see the way it was painted or written, how it was taped or fastened to whatever is holding it up, and then I start thinking about who made the sign, how old the person might be... Did he or she make the sign in the garage or on the kitchen table? Did they have to go to the store for paper or did they make it out of something they already had?
Now I don't do this on every yard or garage sale sign I see, let alone every THING I see. I do this with things I notice. Even with this qualifier, however, you can imagine how much time I spend thinking about the things as I drive through town... it's a lot. But I've realized over the years that my tendency to do this, to contemplate things that might otherwise be considered mundane, has kept alive a certain child-like wonder and openness to how God speaks to His children through His creation.
So as God would have it, as I was driving down the road to my favorite local espresso stand, I noticed something that sent me into processing overload. A woman was out walking her two dogs. At the end of one leash was a medium-sized, white and tan, scraggly-haired mixed breed. He had obviously been around the block a time or two - pun intended - and knew the ropes - pun intended again - of doing the dog walking thing. If owner stops, dog stops; if owner walks, dog walks. On the end of the other leash, however, was a teeny-tiny Dachsund puppy with a smooth black and tan coat: its belly barely missing the sidewalk. This little girl was hilariously cute to watch! Her legs were so short they appeared to have no knee or elbow bends. Each step was a stiff legged splay out to the side of her body rather than the smooth trot of her taller walking buddy. But you would never have guessed that she didn't know she wasn't poetry in motion. Her little head was held as high on her shoulders as she could manage and if I didn't know better I would have thought she was the one in charge.
Just as I approached them to pass, the walkers came upon a patch of grass that must have held something that smelled indescribably interesting, because all of a sudden little miss Dachsy decided that she needed to investigate. So with the little bit of slack she had on the line, she diverted from the chosen path in order to satisfy her young and inquisitive mind's curiosity. Madam Owner had other plans, though. Madam owner had things to do and places to go and there was no time for dilly-dallying along the way. Furthermore, there might be something gross or scary or worse in the patch of grass and as a rule, it's best to just stay away from unfamiliar patches of grass. But little miss Dachsy would have none of it! As Madam Owner gently tugged at the leash little miss Dachsy planted her itty-bitty feet in one, well, four, spots, and with her nose pointing in the direction of the patch of grass she non-verbally declared, "I WILL NOT BE MOVED!"
Now just imagine this juxtaposition: here is little miss Dachsy - all four inches tall and MAYBE 8 ounces of her - pulling against the tether by which she is connected to her owner. An owner who, even as an average sized adult human woman, outweighs her by at least 130 pounds and makes Goliath look like a Pygmy in comparison to David. Still, Dachsy is staying put, hunkering down, holder her ground...
As the battle unfolds in my rear view mirror I witness Madam Owner pause for just a moment to let Dachsy girl satisfy her curiosity, and thankfully nothing gross or scary or worse comes up out of the grass to snatch the puppy. Head held high, as if she has bested a worthy opponent, Dachsy renews her splayed leg march with more confidence than every before, once again taking her place out front as if she is leading the expedition.
Father God how I am humbled...
Unlike dog and owner, I am not on Your leash. I am, however, tethered to You... we are connected at the heart. How many times have You gently pulled the tether as if to say, "Come along, don't stop there, it's not completely safe off the chosen path." How many times have I responded in pleas or defiance, "But I wanna see! Can't I just stop for a second and experience this?" How many times have I forced my will instead of following Yours? How many five star blessings did I forfeit because I had to have my one star instant gratification? And then how many times have I looked back at You and said, "See, nothing went wrong! Everything is fine!"
I am more impetuous and obstinate than that puppy will ever be. At some point, if that owner is a good one, she will train the little puppy to come when called. She will do everything that she can to ensure the safety of that little dog and they will live peacefully together barring the occasional squirrel in a tree or vagrant raccoon. God is not a dog trainer. I think He expects us to train ourselves - with the understanding that He is to be our guide, our strength, our protector and our place of rest. He provided us with the best training manual ever, in the hope that we would read it and apply its lessons to our daily "walk." We should learn to come when called. (1 Samuel 3:4) We should know what is good and not good, safe and not safe, we should be able to find the path and follow it. (Psalm 119:105) We should trust God and know that He wants what is best for us and more importantly He KNOWS what is best for us. (Proverbs 3:4-6) Finally, and above all else, the subject I often find the hardest to understand and the hardest to accept; God LOVES us. He wants us to know and believe and accept and cling to and bank on the promise that He loves us with all His being - so much so that He sacrificed the most precious thing He had, his Son - just to prove His love and save us from sin. (John 3:16)
Father, oh that I would finally get this... that I would be satisfied by You and not the instantaneous earthly things that might interest me... help me remember that they are temporary and You are eternal. Oh that I would finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together and rather than stretch out the tether between us to see how far it reaches, I would instead see how much slack I can take up - how close I could walk beside you before Your love would completely envelope me and transform me into the person I can be.
Just a closer walk with thee,
"Grant it, Jesus" is my plea.
Daily walking close to thee,
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak but You are strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
as I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Now I don't do this on every yard or garage sale sign I see, let alone every THING I see. I do this with things I notice. Even with this qualifier, however, you can imagine how much time I spend thinking about the things as I drive through town... it's a lot. But I've realized over the years that my tendency to do this, to contemplate things that might otherwise be considered mundane, has kept alive a certain child-like wonder and openness to how God speaks to His children through His creation.
So as God would have it, as I was driving down the road to my favorite local espresso stand, I noticed something that sent me into processing overload. A woman was out walking her two dogs. At the end of one leash was a medium-sized, white and tan, scraggly-haired mixed breed. He had obviously been around the block a time or two - pun intended - and knew the ropes - pun intended again - of doing the dog walking thing. If owner stops, dog stops; if owner walks, dog walks. On the end of the other leash, however, was a teeny-tiny Dachsund puppy with a smooth black and tan coat: its belly barely missing the sidewalk. This little girl was hilariously cute to watch! Her legs were so short they appeared to have no knee or elbow bends. Each step was a stiff legged splay out to the side of her body rather than the smooth trot of her taller walking buddy. But you would never have guessed that she didn't know she wasn't poetry in motion. Her little head was held as high on her shoulders as she could manage and if I didn't know better I would have thought she was the one in charge.
Just as I approached them to pass, the walkers came upon a patch of grass that must have held something that smelled indescribably interesting, because all of a sudden little miss Dachsy decided that she needed to investigate. So with the little bit of slack she had on the line, she diverted from the chosen path in order to satisfy her young and inquisitive mind's curiosity. Madam Owner had other plans, though. Madam owner had things to do and places to go and there was no time for dilly-dallying along the way. Furthermore, there might be something gross or scary or worse in the patch of grass and as a rule, it's best to just stay away from unfamiliar patches of grass. But little miss Dachsy would have none of it! As Madam Owner gently tugged at the leash little miss Dachsy planted her itty-bitty feet in one, well, four, spots, and with her nose pointing in the direction of the patch of grass she non-verbally declared, "I WILL NOT BE MOVED!"
Now just imagine this juxtaposition: here is little miss Dachsy - all four inches tall and MAYBE 8 ounces of her - pulling against the tether by which she is connected to her owner. An owner who, even as an average sized adult human woman, outweighs her by at least 130 pounds and makes Goliath look like a Pygmy in comparison to David. Still, Dachsy is staying put, hunkering down, holder her ground...
As the battle unfolds in my rear view mirror I witness Madam Owner pause for just a moment to let Dachsy girl satisfy her curiosity, and thankfully nothing gross or scary or worse comes up out of the grass to snatch the puppy. Head held high, as if she has bested a worthy opponent, Dachsy renews her splayed leg march with more confidence than every before, once again taking her place out front as if she is leading the expedition.
Father God how I am humbled...
Unlike dog and owner, I am not on Your leash. I am, however, tethered to You... we are connected at the heart. How many times have You gently pulled the tether as if to say, "Come along, don't stop there, it's not completely safe off the chosen path." How many times have I responded in pleas or defiance, "But I wanna see! Can't I just stop for a second and experience this?" How many times have I forced my will instead of following Yours? How many five star blessings did I forfeit because I had to have my one star instant gratification? And then how many times have I looked back at You and said, "See, nothing went wrong! Everything is fine!"
I am more impetuous and obstinate than that puppy will ever be. At some point, if that owner is a good one, she will train the little puppy to come when called. She will do everything that she can to ensure the safety of that little dog and they will live peacefully together barring the occasional squirrel in a tree or vagrant raccoon. God is not a dog trainer. I think He expects us to train ourselves - with the understanding that He is to be our guide, our strength, our protector and our place of rest. He provided us with the best training manual ever, in the hope that we would read it and apply its lessons to our daily "walk." We should learn to come when called. (1 Samuel 3:4) We should know what is good and not good, safe and not safe, we should be able to find the path and follow it. (Psalm 119:105) We should trust God and know that He wants what is best for us and more importantly He KNOWS what is best for us. (Proverbs 3:4-6) Finally, and above all else, the subject I often find the hardest to understand and the hardest to accept; God LOVES us. He wants us to know and believe and accept and cling to and bank on the promise that He loves us with all His being - so much so that He sacrificed the most precious thing He had, his Son - just to prove His love and save us from sin. (John 3:16)
Father, oh that I would finally get this... that I would be satisfied by You and not the instantaneous earthly things that might interest me... help me remember that they are temporary and You are eternal. Oh that I would finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together and rather than stretch out the tether between us to see how far it reaches, I would instead see how much slack I can take up - how close I could walk beside you before Your love would completely envelope me and transform me into the person I can be.
Just a closer walk with thee,
"Grant it, Jesus" is my plea.
Daily walking close to thee,
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak but You are strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
as I walk, let me walk close to thee.
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