Dumb Dog, Old Stick, New Friend

08 Dec Dumb Dog, Old Stick, New Friend

The encounters were becoming more frequent. She was the sneaky type, loudly letting the entire neighborhood know she was uncomfortable with my presence but quieting down the closer I got. But it was when my back was turned that she would charge making the fiercest, roaring, and stampede of elephant sounds. I found myself balling my fists and bracing for impact and quite possibly a bite. She would get close enough that I could feel her breath on my hands, and then just stop. However, her barking would sound as though I was trying to break into her house. Her owner calls her name, but I don’t think the dog knows she has a name. I would try to maintain an unwavering walk, praying my legs would not collapse as they felt like they would and hope my heart would resume its usual rhythm, all the while thinking, “Dumb dog!”

My walks usually include talking to God. Yes, I know it should say, talking with God, but I am afraid that lately I talk at Him a lot more than with Him. Confused and very verbal about my disapproval of how nothing has gone as we have planned; I bare my heart and cry many times. Sometimes I feel like yelling really loud and shaking my, “Why God why?!?” fists, but realizing that there are people watching me that I cannot see, I usually refrain. Yet, through all my chatter, God in His most merciful way lets me express myself and then when I am completely worn out, He speaks.

One day as I was just finishing my daily routine with “dumb dog,” I hear a very quiet, “Excuse me, Miss?” I look up and see dumb dog’s neighbor. She is holding a walking stick and calls me over to her. Her name is Sharon. She hands me the walking stick, and lets me know that it used to be her late husband’s. It was a golf club with the head popped off and Sharon’s husband used it whenever he went walking. I was touched; this act of kindness from a stranger, out of nowhere left me in awe. We began to talk and find that we are sisters in Christ.  All the tension seeps out of my body as we begin to talk about God in our lives. As I walk away, with a new friend and prayer supporter I feel a light tapping on my heart and hear, “See this Cambie? This is ME at work. I can bring whoever I want, whenever I want, however I want, because this is MY team.  And yes, I used a dumb dog to do it, but using animals is nothing new to ME. When will you trust ME fully?” I chuckle as I think of the times in the Bible God has used animals to humble humans. As I slow down again and surrender my timeline into His hands once more, I am reminded of how much He loves me. He spoke to me in a way I understood, and did it in a very loving way. I walked away with no bite scars, and a strong daily reminder of WHO He is and what He is capable of.

Sharon has since moved up north to be with family. Every day, as I walk by what used to be her house, I remember to pray for her and know she is praying for me. And ironically, I have not seen dumb dog but once since, and she was on a very tight leash.