Dog Show

Sam and Blake came to stay at my house for the weekend because mom and dad got to go on a business trip. The dog show was in town and I thought that would be a great start for a fun weekend, so I got in gear early and the day before we invited William and Catherine to join us, but only Catherine accepted, William wanted to stay home and play golf with his dad. And we were off!  It  really is a quite simple field trip if you park at the Fannin Rail station, and a fun one too.  We packed a picnic, rode the rail to Herman Park, fed a few squirrels, ate lunch and then headed back to the rail to the Dog Show which was at Reliant.  (An all day rail ticket for an adult is $2.50, kids are free.) I can not ever remember going to a dog show and the entertainment is not contained to the floor shows.  There were dogs everywhere, dogs participating and dogs for show and dogs for companionship.  The kids were over the top entertained, but two of their favorite sights were the great danes that were almost bigger than they were and these three dressed up poodles in tutus and bows riding in a fringe decorated wagon.  Just too much!  

I seldom know how and what will send my little friends, but as I watched them scamper about the huge halls of Reliant and stop and ask one owner after another for permission to pet their dogs, it was just precious to see how their curiosity and interests were met. 

The smiles were as big as Texas, and their hearts were satisfied. It just doesn't take much, if  they are exposed to things that capture their fancy. And animals, in this case, the dogs, have a way of calming children, bringing out a tenderness and gentleness and stirring within them, and allowing them to exhibit, the caring and loving nature that God has placed there. 

Not all kids, and clearly not all adults are dog lovers, but for those who are, you get this.  The breeds represented at this show were way too many to count, and far more than I could even recognize.  Which brings me to a point. We may all be part of the human race, but each of us is packaged differently in temperament, color, size, and inside workings, be it in mind or physical stature.  When the kids knelt down to pet their chosen dogs, they first offered their hand for the dog to smell then they began to pet them.  The dogs they chose almost immediately submitted to their loving attention and touch.  There was no defense. There was an understanding between the one who has the ability to care for and the one who is being cared for.  

That same understanding is what God wants from his children. For we are the ones being cared for and God is the one who has the ability to care for us. But too many times instead of submitting to his ways and his standards, we stand up and defend our territory and put a guard up so that God keeps his distance. He never takes his eyes off of us but will loosen his hold so that we will come to him on our own initiative.  It is all in the training.  As we experience trials of many kinds and even successes, he is gently opening our eyes to his presence and helping us to embrace his trust.  We get closer to God as we let God get closer to us. And it is when we finally choose to submit to his loving care, involvement and gentleness, then he is able to give us the security and confidence to lay down our fears and rest in His peace. 

We bark out commands and complaints and many times resent the authority that comes from above, but the truth is, we are leashed by God's overseeing ability to control all circumstances and situations. And until we realize that God is the trustworthy master who is teaching us, and training us to be,who he has envisioned us to be and developing our character through the events that he is allowing to come into our lives,  we will never recognize the rewards of freedom, peace and joy that come from willingly submitting to His ways. 

I am not comparing myself to a dog or you either for that matter, though some of us sometimes act like mean dogs, but what I am comparing is the fulfillment and contentment that these dogs, that we saw,  seem to generate by having a master who loves them and cares for them as they clearly do. If we willingly allow God the leash to our lives, we will find that through training we will learn to be  consistent in our actions, words, attitudes and our deeds that the leash will be so extended that it will not be the burdened restraint, rather a welcomed tether to safety.  For sometimes, even the best of actions need to be reeled in due to our self bent natures and an overriding desire for something that will cause us harm or do us no good. 

I am an animal lover, and will gladly pet any four legged friend who will allow me to get close enough to touch. I find them to be intriguing, as they cannot say a word yet their loyalty,  discernment of character, hunger to be fed and loved, and their respect for their master is manifested in their eyes, in their posture, and in their very real sense of awareness. These are all good qualities...but only if they rest in the hands of a qualified master and trainer of good things.  We unlike dogs, can choose our master. There are two choices. If we choose God, then we are under the influence of a master of extraordinary excellence.  If we choose the other, well, I think we all have made that mistake at one time or another, and the outcome is one of defiled expectations of any long term goodness, security and contentment.  The choice is ours, and ours alone. We can wag our tails of contentment, whatever the circumstances, because we are living under our master's sovereign plan or hope, restoration and redemption, or we can bark in continued discontent and be ever fussy about life and all the challenges and obstacles that it holds.  

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Luke 16:13

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 

And as my good friend Libbie says at the end of her emails:  Wag More and bark less.   

Dear Lord, Thank you for the little opportunities to be able to enjoy with my grandchildren. And thank you for pets, for they bring about a dimension of calmness, love and fun and even sometimes security to all who interact with them.  Amen