A couple of weeks ago, this blog addressed the whole idea of what lengths God will go to in order to get our attention. If you missed it, you can catch up here. I had no intention of doing a follow-up so quickly, but that’s where we find ourselves this week.
My past few weeks have been unusually busy. But not necessarily in a harried way; simply in a “where can I slot you into my schedule” kind of way. Filled primarily with good stuff.
This week was no exception until it came to a screeching halt Thursday evening. I had been out to dinner with a group of friends and returned home about 8:30. As always, my first job is to let Miss Sassy Pants (aka Maisy) out to do her business.
Because she had been in her kennel for a few hours during my absence, she can be a little extra crazy when we hit the backyard. What often happens next can really only be witnessed to appreciate, but I’ll do my best to describe it.
Maisy is essentially an agility leaping dog at heart. On this particular evening, she was leaping into the air to grab the poop bag from my hand, mind you at about shoulder level. It’s a bit of a game with us, with me not letting her have it, but Maisy going after it again and again. And maybe there’s a wipeout or two to follow.
After a few tries, she ran into my back and fall hard on the ground resulting in a bone-chilling yelp from her. I knew immediately something was seriously wrong. She couldn’t put any weight on that back foot, and after about 15 minutes of “what should I do?” I knew I would be making a trip to the emergency vet.
The good news is that nothing is broken. She has soft tissue damage, which I hear can actually take longer to heal than a break. Great …
So she’s on pain meds and strict restrictions of no running, jumping or playing for ten days.
My Friday plans changed from fairly busy to not so much. I didn’t want her to spend her day in her kennel while I went about my usual schedule, so I decided to take a few things off the “to do” list and just hang out with Maisy.
She was clearly in pain and, despite her independent nature, I sensed she definitely needed a little TCL from her mama. I’m sure all you human and pet mamas out there can relate.
As we cuddled up on the couch under the blankets, I had some fleeting thoughts about what I “should” be doing. But thankfully, they were just that – fleeting. Within a few moments, it became clear that resting with my sweet girl was exactly what I should be doing last Friday.
Now whether God ordained this crash and burn so that I would take a break, I can’t really say. But the circumstances did cause me to pause and reflect upon how appropriate it is for us to take those breaks from our individual chaotic lives, and … rest.
I don’t have a ton of deep, theological lessons to pass along to you as a result of this story. Just a couple of basic tenets of the Christian walk.
- God has indeed designed our bodies and minds to need regular rest. I know, often much easier said than done. But don’t short-change yourself on this vital element of how God designed each and every one of us. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you what God did on that seventh day of creation.
- If you don’t adhere to suggestion #1, God may indeed do something a tad more drastic to get your attention and force you into a season of rest. Why not recognize the signs that you’re getting close to overload, and put yourself in a time of resting? Avoid your own crash and burn!
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28