The Soothing Sound of Snoring

I sit in my home office, working on projects I need to get down. I’m a bit stressed, overwhelmed with deadlines and thoughts of my “to-do list”. My computer isn’t responding as quickly as I want, the house needs cleaning because company is coming, dinner needs planning and completing, and snow needs shoveling. So much to do, so little time to relax – or even get everything done. My fists clench and my jaw tightens. Then, I hear it – the sound of snoring.

I glance to the floor and see my two dogs, each deeply asleep on their respective blankets. Tails tightly tucked into their bodies, noses pressed into the softness of fleece. Deep sleep envelopes them, and the deeply saturated muzzles let out a sound so calmly, yet so comical. I smile, then laugh, and my tension melts away.

Why do we humans put so much pressure on ourselves? We let tensions and “to-dos” affect our behavior and our attitude. Especially “the little things”. So what if my house isn’t perfectly cleaned? Will my friends or family disown me? Most likely not. If dinner is served at 6:30 instead of 5:30, so what? If the snow gets shoveled 30 minutes later, what’s the big deal? The little things add up, but we’re the ones who keep the score.

Pets are great teachers of what’s really important: love, companionship, courage, and dedication. The soothing sound of snoring not only brings a smile, but brings a reminder of reality and implication of importance – slow down, love, appreciate, and don’t let the small stuff take away the smile to your day.

In the Face of Adversity

Walking the dogs today, Greg and I and the dogs were charged by a large yellow lab and its golden retriever friends. In the barking and chaos that insued, Greg and I kept our dogs on their leashes and tried to calm them. The dogs' owner can rushing out of the backyard, from where the dogs came thanks to an unlocked gate, and tried to coax his dogs back into the yard. Sage remained at my side and Cody, in an effort to protect us (and him, I assume) lunged at the yellow lab, another male. Thankfully, the dog's owner caught the lab's collar and took him back into the yard. The golden, a female, was more curious than aggitated, and she and Cody sniffed each other then, she, too was taken back into the yard. Our walk resumed.

A thought flashed through my mind -- here we all were, in the midst of adversity, and Sage, though at first surprised by the fast dogs and the barking and sniffing, stayed by my side and remained relatively calm. She trusted Greg and I to take care of her. Even in her blindness, and being blind-sided by these large, fast dogs, she remained close to those who would protect her (and Cody was certainly ready to go to battle for her and for Greg and I!) Sage stood steadfast in the face of adversity; Cody squared off and ready for battle. Maybe we people need to take a lesson here, especially me: God is ready to do battle on my behalf, to take on my enemies and take care of me, if only I stand steadfast in the midst of the adversity I face. Trust and have faith: God will take on my enemies (my fears, my worries, my problems, even Satan himself) on my behalf. All He requires of me is to trust and remain steadfast beside Him in the face of my adversity.

Thanks to Cody and Sage, and two strange dogs, I learned a valuable lesson today.