Three Milkbones Three Times a Day
Grizzly’s gotten a little too far into pet mode lately. Perhaps its hanging out in the house all day with Wally, too much time running with the “pack” of neighbor’s dogs at the lake, or my assuming too much about his ability to remember his manners and restrain himself, but we’ve had to take a step back and do some remedial training.
He’s a herder, of course. So left to his own devices he will herd Wally, my neighbor’s pugs, me on a float in the lake, or kids on a go-cart turning around in my driveway. Starting with Wally, not everyone appreciates a tall-toothed, big-German-Shepherd-mouth wrapped around her head, ear, or ankle. He doesn’t have intentions to hurt anyone, he’s just got his ways of telling them where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to do. It’s instinct, his easy fallback.
But he’s not in my life to show off his instincts and suit his most base pleasures. He lives with me because I need his companionship and protection; and at his size, he could be a lethal weapon if he’s out of control.
I was walking with Grizzly and a friend the other day when out of nowhere a lighter-colored German Shepherd came running full speed and barking towards us . When I saw him, my skin crawled with fear and I yelled. Grizzly got between us but didn’t lunge at him, thankfully. The owner immediately called the dog and he ran back to his yard. My heart was racing. I turned to my friend and said, “Now I know what people feel when they see Grizzly.” It was a good reminder of the power on the other end of the leash in my hand. That power must be controlled.
Three milk bones three times a day.
I’m reaching for three mini milk bones each time we go outside and taking him through Sit, Side, Stay, Leave It, and Drop just for the discipline of remembering who he is, who I am, and what his purpose is. He is most beautiful when he is channeling all his smarts toward walking beside me, looking strong and stately, but obediently responding to my every command, harnessing his tremendous strength for good purposes. This takes practice. When we go without the milk bones and the commands for a few weeks, he gets slack, falls in with the rest of the pack, and can’t distinguish between a sheep and a schnauzer! He starts acting like an ordinary dog. usual, Grizzly is mirroring my own life to me, providing a window into my own soul.
How do I go from seeing God’s goodness and kindness and knowing I am his beloved to feeling like He’s forgotten me and doubting things I once knew to be true? I get ‘off kilter,’ a little disoriented, and wonder how I landed in confusion or sloth or frustration or despair. I hate going anywhere in public these days because I can’t see people’s smiles and I’m breathing my own stale air behind a mask. Add to that the current upheaval around the country and the questions of what to say or not say, do or not do, how to heal and move forward, and I find myself overwhelmed on what ought to be an ordinary day.
How do I come back to remembering what I know to be true?
Three milk bones three times a day.
Practice.
Spiritual practices don’t move God, but then God isn’t the one who needs moving. Practices move me. They put me in a place to hear and see and remember who I am and who God is. They keep my from falling to my basest instincts. They create a space for communion. They open my eyes and ears so I can see and hear. They harness the power so I can distinguish a sheep from a schnauzer. Silence, solitude, rest, morning prayer, evening prayer, Lectio Divina, listening to music, walking labyrinths, journaling, …they are all tools, exercises to create muscle memory, channels for the thoughts and feelings to flow toward the only One who can change anything about me or anyone else.
I can’t cure Covid 19 or figure out how to help everyone get along right now. I can barely keep my own head from spinning, but what I can do…
Three milk bones three times a day.
