Lenten Experiment - Day 15 (An Irrisistible Glow)

Night before last when I got home from work I went through my nightly ritual of letting the three dachshund girls outside to roam a bit and "take care of business." On those days when they endure a full day locked in their "jail," they are full of energy and an unstoppable need for adventure.

Unfortunately for me, at the end of my work day when I'm wanting to wind down they are ready to wind up. All the more reason to open that outer door to freedom for them. And, all three welcome that freedom with full abandon, running as fast as those four-inch long legs can carry them. I've always been amazed at how fast they bound across the fields.

And, this most recent night as darkness settled onto the prairie, I began to worry about their whereabouts. The youngest one, mischief-maker Suubi, for some reason never ventures off with the older two. Strange, she is always the one to stay close to the homestead and this night was no exception. I had already let her back in at the kitchen door.

The other two seem to know they have 80 acres of wilderness in which to frolic. So, dinner was put on the back burner--literally--and I changed into some sweats to begin my search.

These dusk excursions have become commonplace with my two half-sister hooligans--Cocoa & D.K. Each time it occurs again I'm reminded of one search that ended very badly for little D.K. just two years ago. You see she was attacked by a coyote near dusk and lay at the bottom of a boggy stream in freezing temperatures. Poor little one - God saw fit to save her life that night and it has always reminded me how God loves even 10-pound long-haired black & tan dachshunds who stray too far from home.

As I set off with my flashlight, calling their names, it struck me how the Father must feel when I wander from His loving arms. He carries the Light of His Word and diligently calls my name, all the while hoping I will give up my wayward ways and follow Him home. That Light--the Light of the World--beckons and reaches across the darkness with an irresistible glow.

My little four-legged girls were safe that night. They finally responded to my calls but it took effort on my part to seek them out, just as the Father pursues us with His powerful light of truth. It's up to me to be obedient, to respond and to follow, just like Cocoa and D.K.

Lenten Experiment - Day 11 (A False Sense of Peace)

Friday & Saturday have been an adventure in patience and perseverence--the larger than life "P's." While I'm not reticent to reveal all the details of the past 48 hours, suffice it to say that life's always full of fun & interesting challenges. And, life can be very messy and crumbly.

And, I'm sooooo glad that God places people in our lives who show us joy and love despite ourselves. Isn't it grand how God does that?

He even places 10-pound, spotted dachshunds in our lives to humble us, to bring us a good laugh every now and then, and to teach us that there's more to life than a spotless house, a well-ordered day and, well, just about anything else I can think of that spells "the perfect life." As you can imagine, that little phrase doesn't fit my life very well and I'm sure it doesn't fit most any of our lives too well if we're really honest with ourselves.

There they are - my three little angels (or three little musketeers)begging to be let in at the back door. I LOVE dachshunds - from their independent spirits to their loyalty and cuddly natures, I have been hooked since I received my first dachshund when I was six years old.

They are comics through and through. And, when they are sleeping their angelic ways can lull you into a false sense of peace--believing them incapable of any infractions.

However, their mischief-makin' ways are legendary and the last three years our family has discovered that our youngest little piebald short-hair named Suubi is definitely full of shenanigans. If meat or any delectable treat is on the kitchen counter, I've seen her jump as high as any NBA star - at least proportional to her 10" off the ground. Her vertical leap many times exceeds the 36" counter height. While she has never had success with stealing a bite from the counter, she has come close - it's like she has springs for legs. She tends to find more success with food left on the dining room table or somewhere nearer her field of scent. Dachshunds are scent hounds and let me tell you this girl can smell - I've never seen anything like it.

Wanderlust

"Itchy feet" describes my 10-pound long-haired, black and tan dachshund like no other phrase. Some of my friends may remember when the little one had a close encounter with a coyote in the woods near our house in January. She had bite wounds around her shoulders, on her head and it punctured her trachea.

Of my three dachshunds, she's been blessed or maybe "cursed" is a better word with the old country hunting gene. Chasing rabbits, digging into burrows, sniffing out her prey with tenacity and fervor. Unfortunately she met her match in a frosty winter bog behind our pond. After nearly a week in I.C.U., and several weeks of recovery at home, we thought she was on the mend. Then one morning she got up and could barely walk from back pain. More restrictions in the baby play pen for another eight weeks though set her right.

It's now six months from her accident and about two months since her back problems so we all thought we could breathe a sign of relief. Unfortunately, the little bugger now has a new disease—wanderlust.

Here is little D.K. sitting at the back door aching for the woods. And, it's really hard for me to say "no" to her. I mean after all, she is a dog and I've gotta let her "be a dog." Right? I let her out and watch her scurry across the sidewalk, bound for adventures in the deep grasses. And, she never comes back of her own accord – it requires work from me. Yes, you guessed it. I'm out calling and hunting and pleading with her to come inside. Once back in the house, she laps up a bowl of water and then collapses until another bout of wanderlust strikes her. She's up to about three adventures every day. I'm not sure if I can keep up.

D.K.'s forays into the forest remind me of how I sometimes get distracted with "itchy feet" and fail to find God's best path for me. It might be rest I need or a new attitude, but instead I'm off exploring or wasting time. As I wander farther and farther into the brush it gets harder and harder to hear His voice. He calls and calls, but only after His persistence do I finally hear His cries and strike out for the safety of home—His arms.