As I left the house for the airport, my neighbor was talking her dog for a walk. On previous meetings with the white Labrador mix, I have been impressed with the dog’s ability to control his owner. Bright, smart, friendly, and hyper in a dog’s “I love life” way.
Today, it was raining. It was typical tropical rain except that it had a touch of coolness in it. As I waited and talked to the dog, I was curious as to his reaction to the weather. In short, he did not like it! One he sniffed and could see the rain, he laid down, unwilling to budge. Despite requests, please, pulls, and even firm tugs, he was not going to move. Without making a sound, he had successfully communicated his intentions.
With the owner commented that she could wait, I noted that the dog’s ears twitched. It was a sign. When she suggested they go home, he got up and headed for the elevator without hesitation.
I realized as they left that the dog had never made a sound. No barking or growls. He was totally silent, except for his actions. Yet, we all heard him. His communication was clear, direct, and succinct. We understood. There were no doubts or confusion.
I wonder how often my actions, as subtle or beyond the scrutiny as I might try to make them, are as clear as the loud and clear as the dog’s were. Am I so unaware that I fit the psalmist rhetorical question; “Do you think Ear-Maker doesn’t hear, Eye-Shaper doesn’t see?” (Psalm 94.9)
In the process, I realized that above all, my heart hears the messaging of my actions. I cannot un-know my experience. My heart is informed. My values and priorities are touched. The actions touch every part of me.
I hope I can be as intentionally transparent and clear today. I want others to understand me as clearly as I understood the dog. Simplicity, clarity, and focus are traits the dog knows well. It is a model I would do well to replicate.
