Days of Grace
Many of you know our Cardigan Welsh Corgi Hannah. Hannah is a genetic sport in that almost everything that could go wrong with her did. She is too tall for a corgi, she is too long, she does not weigh enough, her fur is too soft and too long, her ear flops. For the most part she does not “act” like a typical corgi. When we got her, the breeder made us sign a document promising that we would have her neutered by a date certain or risk a stiff fine. The breeder wanted to be sure this line was permanently destroyed and all the flaws that Hannah carried not passed on to another generation. End Summary
Hannah has now become our "old lady dog". Her muzzle is quite grey, she is so deaf she cannot hear the doorbell or thunder, she gets around a little more slowly and on occasion for no reason at all, her front right leg buckles and down she goes. Some days she "gets lost" in the house and now very carefully gets into her crate at night. She depends on Penny for cues as to when to come in and go out and we are teaching her simple hand gestures to make her sit, come and go.
Perhaps the greatest change is how tactile Hannah has become. Hannah has now decided that her favorite spot is next to my chair on the left side. When I leave my computer bag there she wanders around looking at me, waiting for me to understand and move my bag off the floor. Hannah then settles down and goes to sleep.
Now more than ever Hannah comes up to me and sits looking at me waiting for me to reach down and stroke her on the head. I will do that for several minutes and then she settles down by my chair and goes to sleep.
Hannah has taught me a great deal about grace. She is always happy to see me come home. She runs to the door and stands there with her tail wagging. She follows me wherever I am going in the house and waits patiently until I reach down and pat her on the head.
When I move about the kitchen now I have to be careful and look for where Hannah is. With no hearing and me walking softly, I have from time to time stumbled over her or even have stepped on her tail or foot. This results in a yelp and fast withdrawal from the space. Then in just a few minutes she returns, first seeking a pat on the head, and a kind word before she settles down again.
Hannah wants nothing more than to be in our presence, be acknowledged, and be loved, fed and taken on walks. She sleeps a lot now and Nancy and I know that the day will come sooner than we want when we have to make tough decisions in regards to Hannah.
I said that Hannah has taught me a great deal about grace and it is true. She has taught me of God's grace in regards to me. Hannah reminds me daily that God wants nothing more than for us to be in his presence. God wants to be acknowledged by us. God wants us to love him, serve him, and yes, even go on walks with him.
In return God provides for our needs just as I provide for Hannah's. God feeds us, protects us, corrects us when we wander, and gives us little "pats" on the head just when we need it most.
All of this is given freely and that is part of the definition of grace. Something given to us when we don't deserve it, cannot buy it, cannot earn it.
We are entering into the long church season called Ordinary Time. We move through this time learning what God has in plan for us, desires for us, and asks from us. In regards to your spiritual journey use these months of Ordinary Time wisely. As you travel, don't forget about God. Visit regularly with Him and listen to what He speaks to you. With slower, less crowded schedules, add some time to your prayer time. Spend more time reading your Bible and discovering the riches found there. Rather than letting the time simply slip through your fingers, use it to draw closer to God. If you do so, you will not arrive at the end of the summer wondering where the time went and you will discover just how full of grace these days can be.
May God richly bless and keep you.
Fr. David
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