Sunday, November 28, 2010

Faith of a Dog

Pashuuuush, [pause] pashuuush, [pause] pashuuush. Strange sound, I think to myself groggily. It’s some time between when I fell asleep and when this annoying something-dragging-on-the-carpet sound awakens me. It’s still dark outside and a burglar would hardly be so obnoxious. It must be Ruby. I silently scold her. “Ruby! Lie down. Crazy dog”, believing she must be dragging some part of her body across the carpet. Obedient combined with silence lulls me back to Sleepville.
As it’s been all my life, morning arrives. I stumble out of bed not because I’ve slept off my coordination, but find the area rug from our entry wadded up under my bare feet. Huh? What the.... ahhh. Stupid dog. “Ruby, since when did you start dragging rugs around the house? And why in the middle of the night?” Like a good housekeeper, I return the rug to its rightful place and while walking back to the bedroom, I find Ruby’s dog tag in the hallway. Checking her collar confirms it’s fallen off, but where’s the wire loop that connects the tag to the collar? And then all the pieces of a bizarre night come together. Wrapped up in the carpet loops I find the wire “ring”.
Ruby
While sleeping on the entry rug, my poor dog got her dog tag stuck in the carpet loops. The pulsating, dragging sound was Ruby attempting to walk with the rug dragging from her neck. As she stepped on the rug, her progress would stop but began the process of stretching out the dog tag ring. I have no idea how long it took her to reach her rescuing master in the bedroom, but my compassionate command to lie down coincided with the ring finally falling off and releasing the millstone wrapped around her neck. I was a hero and didn’t even know it.
Consider the following things Jesus said. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and; "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

When I get tangled up with the issues of life, why do I insist on dragging it around? My Master is always with me and promises to never leave me. He is my help in time of need. God doesn’t enjoy watching us trying to free ourselves. He already knows we don’t have the strength or ability. Nor does God ever sleep or wonder what’s going on. He’s the best Master ever.