Читать книгу Paws to Reflect for Dog Lovers - Kim McLean - Страница 7

Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old.

—Isaiah 51:9

Some days, Daisy, our three-legged Dalmatian, is curled in sound sleep, when Henry, the miniature schnauzer, comes along to torment her with a curious sniff. Henry’s curiosity and agitation can rouse Daisy from a dead sleep to a ferocious attack in zero to six seconds.

As humans, we have a metaphoric sleep as well, spending a lot of time in a comfortable “coast” in life’s holding pattern. We fail to live up to our potential and forget to heed our calling. We need to be awakened to a fresh new life, without taking the heads off those around us, being jolted, as it were, out of our day-to-day rut. How to respond? How do we change and become fully aware and awake? We have to let go of the old habits and let ourselves forge a new path in obedience. When we empty ourselves of the world, we can be filled with God’s light. We must let go of comfort—something that can be truly terrifying.

When you see a sleeping dog lash out, it’s not usually out of a mean spirit. It’s out of fear. We react just as ferociously as a sleeping dog sometimes because we are afraid to become new—afraid to become God’s full potential for us.

On this first day of the year, let us wake up into a new day, where we have love all around us to encourage us. Let last night’s nightmare fall away and become today’s glorious dream. Be courageous in God’s new world for you!—d.o.