In my neighborhood there is a regular parade of dogs. Usually it is in the morning and evening. It is interesting to note dog’s behavior. While some pull at the leash, far more often they are content to be close to the person they know better than anyone around them. It would be fun interviewing dogs. If I could, my questions would center on them. How do they see the world? When they are out for walk, what is their favorite thing? If they could tell us one thing, what would that one thing be?
What I would not have to ask is the obvious. When they want comfort, dogs seem to know how to get it. Curling up next to someone they trust is a sight I see most frequently. On the way out for dinner, I rode past six maids that were, in theory, walking their owner’s dogs. The walks had been suspended and a fun chat underway. Some of the dogs were curiously exploring. Most had settled down at a familiar feet and were simply watched as they dozed. All thoughts of being in a rush were gone. All urges to smell, explore, and examine were put aside. This was a time to simply be.
The sight of the group under the street light lingers in my mind. As I consider the dogs curled up and embracing the moment, I find myself thinking of the Psalmist observation about those “who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow.” (Psalm 91.1) While some say that it is a time to be moving, there is a lot to be gained from simply resting and being in the moment.
Slowing down and being in the moment creates an opportunity to collect our thoughts and put context to where we are.
Being, especially with a trusted one, restores our energies. We give our defenses a vacation, the tensions that come with being on alert vanish, and we rediscover hope.
I find I see more clearly.
To those I trust, God included, thank-you.
