I went on an adventure today. Bill drove me, Mom and Zeke (that’s the dog) out to Talbot Creek farm. I have been away from the house so few times lately that riding five miles down the road seemed like a real treat. No worries; we didn’t run into any people. We just rode down to the pond, got out of the car for about ten minutes, and enjoyed the company of ten little ducklings. Well, the people enjoyed the ducklings. The dog was another story.
Zeke is an interesting dog. He is very good company and has pretty good manners. Our vet describes him as “scary smart.” The Labrador part of him loves water and being playful; the pond at Talbot Creek is his favorite hangout. Once he hits the water, he’s in his happy place. Since he’s often difficult to call in, our dog has his own life jacket. We want him to be safe, but Zeke would rather swim than eat and he’s smart enough to know that I’m not going in after him.
The other part of Zeke’s breeding is Border Collie. Just as the lab in him plays hard, the collie works hard. He is a gentle soul who just wants to herd. Now that’s a challenge for a dog living with four adults who are rarely in the same room at the same time. He spends many days walking from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, checking on each of his people and wishing he could move them into one space. Many times, as we walk through a room occupied by someone else, Zeke will wrap a paw around his human and push. He attempts to herd us into one group as part of his nature. Zeke will herd anything that moves (with the exception of a squirrel which is only good for chasing), and he particularly loves herding adults, children and other dogs. Today, as Zeke focused his work on ducklings, he immediately encountered three major obstacles.
The first challenge was that I did not want him chasing the ducks. I don’t think he would have hurt them, just herd them, but still. I sharply called him off. Second, the ducks were in a pen, partly in the water and partly out. They couldn’t go far so herding wasn’t a realistic option. Third, those babies did not want to be herded. They were perfectly happy eating, swimming inside their screen and being calm. A bouncy, happy dog with a natural bent on working wasn’t on their agenda for this day.
With me calling, the ducks squawking, and the enclosure offering interference, the dog’s instinctive drive to herd was confused. I think I saw a look of frustration in his eyes as I was asking him to go against his nature.
My own nature to work sometimes creates similar frustration. With the world calling, the work squawking, and the boundaries interfering, my instinct to herd the people of God becomes confusing work. Even with the purest of intentions to move us in the same direction with our learning and growth, obstacles persist. Mercifully, God’s nature is stronger than mine or the collie’s.
Holy and eternal, righteous and unchanging, God’s nature is love. (Although that could be defined as more of an attribute than nature, I maintain that God is love.) David sings that his heart is glad, his soul rejoices, and his body rests secure because God loves him and shows him the path of life. In God’s presence there is “fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16, NRSV)
With a slight hesitation, the dog obeyed my command, moved away from the ducklings, and rested beside me until happily heading back into the car. His nature to be a part of my pack was stronger than his need to be in control of the herd. I can learn from Zeke as well as David. May I be less hesitant, more obedient, and strongly dependent on God’s direction as I happily work to mirror God’s nature.
Doggedly determined,
Pastor Beth
Zeke is an interesting dog. He is very good company and has pretty good manners. Our vet describes him as “scary smart.” The Labrador part of him loves water and being playful; the pond at Talbot Creek is his favorite hangout. Once he hits the water, he’s in his happy place. Since he’s often difficult to call in, our dog has his own life jacket. We want him to be safe, but Zeke would rather swim than eat and he’s smart enough to know that I’m not going in after him.
The other part of Zeke’s breeding is Border Collie. Just as the lab in him plays hard, the collie works hard. He is a gentle soul who just wants to herd. Now that’s a challenge for a dog living with four adults who are rarely in the same room at the same time. He spends many days walking from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, checking on each of his people and wishing he could move them into one space. Many times, as we walk through a room occupied by someone else, Zeke will wrap a paw around his human and push. He attempts to herd us into one group as part of his nature. Zeke will herd anything that moves (with the exception of a squirrel which is only good for chasing), and he particularly loves herding adults, children and other dogs. Today, as Zeke focused his work on ducklings, he immediately encountered three major obstacles.
The first challenge was that I did not want him chasing the ducks. I don’t think he would have hurt them, just herd them, but still. I sharply called him off. Second, the ducks were in a pen, partly in the water and partly out. They couldn’t go far so herding wasn’t a realistic option. Third, those babies did not want to be herded. They were perfectly happy eating, swimming inside their screen and being calm. A bouncy, happy dog with a natural bent on working wasn’t on their agenda for this day.
With me calling, the ducks squawking, and the enclosure offering interference, the dog’s instinctive drive to herd was confused. I think I saw a look of frustration in his eyes as I was asking him to go against his nature.
My own nature to work sometimes creates similar frustration. With the world calling, the work squawking, and the boundaries interfering, my instinct to herd the people of God becomes confusing work. Even with the purest of intentions to move us in the same direction with our learning and growth, obstacles persist. Mercifully, God’s nature is stronger than mine or the collie’s.
Holy and eternal, righteous and unchanging, God’s nature is love. (Although that could be defined as more of an attribute than nature, I maintain that God is love.) David sings that his heart is glad, his soul rejoices, and his body rests secure because God loves him and shows him the path of life. In God’s presence there is “fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16, NRSV)
With a slight hesitation, the dog obeyed my command, moved away from the ducklings, and rested beside me until happily heading back into the car. His nature to be a part of my pack was stronger than his need to be in control of the herd. I can learn from Zeke as well as David. May I be less hesitant, more obedient, and strongly dependent on God’s direction as I happily work to mirror God’s nature.
Doggedly determined,
Pastor Beth
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