I took my loveable German Shepherd, Lyric, on a walk this morning, as I do every day. It's good for her, and good for me. It's our routine. Twice a day we go around the block that is our neighborhood, rain or shine or blizzard cold. Except Sundays, when I take a Sabbath rest and skip the morning constitutional. Now that school is in session and the weather is cooler, we go around 8:30 am. And usually our evening walk is right after dinner. Lyric knows that when I get out my socks and tennis shoes it's time to go. (Seriously, the only time I wear tennis shoes is for these walks, so if she sees me in them she goes nuts!) If I don't get around to it soon enough she comes and head butts my leg, c'mon mom!
So we headed out this morning and weren't very far along when from behind me I heard a woman shout "Rascal, NO!" followed by a lot of barking. I turned to see Rascal charging at us, and Lyric looked and started pulling too. Despite Rascal's bark, we were not afraid, since Rascal probably weighed all of 5 pounds. Our 40-pound (as our daughter calls her) "fun-sized" Shepherd could have eaten Rascal for lunch, but she really only wanted to play. Clearly Rascal's owner was not in the mood for play and called for him to stop, NOW!, so we continued walking, all the while looking back to see if he had.
When we finally faced forward again we found, not 10 feet in front of us, a hissing, back-arched cat. Giving me whiplash, Lyric now pulled the other way, angling for the cat. Clearly the cat was not amused. She tried to hold her ground while I tried to hold mine, on a leash. Finally the cat gave us a wide berth and walked away. And Lyric sulked, thinking I'd cheated her out of more fun.
Sometimes things that interrupt your routine are just that: opportunities for fun. Taking a break from your plan for the evening in order to spend a couple hours braiding your daughter's hair. Not being able to concentrate on the reading you wanted to do because your son is alternately playing drums and guitar in your basement and he fancies heavy metal grunge, which to your brain is like fingernails on a chalkboard, only louder. But you're so happy to hear him doing the thing he loves. Things that make your daily walk a little bit interesting.
But sometimes the dog isn't a pipsqueak pup but a teeth-barred wolf, famished and stalking. And you turn and see from the other direction a prowling lion staring you down. And you're stuck in the middle and frankly don't know what to do. (I know, I know...wolves and lions don't occupy the same habitat...just work with me here). Sometimes your enemies are bigger than you, and you can't whistle a happy tune or find any lyrics to sing, and it's all you can do to hold your ground, and you really, really just want to make it out alive. But we are besieged on all fronts. Helpless. Hopeless.
"When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matt 9:36) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." (John 10: 11-14) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Do you know what I'm talking about? Are you there now? We made it through our walk by taking another step, and another. And I think that's how we'll make it through this chapter of life as well. We take another step and another step and another step. We hold tight to our Shepherd, who has compassion on us. And holding fast to God, we trust Him and take another step.
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