Life Lessons from a Dog in a Kayak

 

Sometimes God uses a dog to teach us basic life lessons.

We went kayaking last weekend at Table Rock and took our dog, Tommy. We’d been many times, but this was new for Tommy.  We got to the lake and Tommy splashed in the water along the shore, getting used to the water.  He smiled as he splashed, having a wonderful time. 

 We each got in a kayak and Tommy rode with Dad, sitting behind him. They paddled along enjoying the cool weather, the sky decorated with billowy clouds overhead. Lush green trees lined the shore.



Tommy decided he was bored so he got up to walk away. SPLASH!  He sank, having no idea what had happened. 

 

When he resurfaced, he panicked, until he figured out how to dog paddle.  He hurried over to Mom’s kayak and she held him next to the boat so he would calm down, realizing he was safe.

 

When Mom couldn’t pull him into her kayak, he paddled to Dad, who’d moved alongside.  Dad scooped him into his arms and put him safely in his kayak.

How often do we relax and decide to venture out a bit to try something new?  And end up in over our heads, not knowing how to get back? It can be scary.

When we turn back to our Father, desperate for help, He rescues us and scoops us into His arms to safety, glad we’re with Him again. And we can relax.  If we stay near Him, we can know He’ll keep us safe because he loves us.

Power Outage

Sometimes God just makes me laugh.

I went to a Bible study this week where we’re going through a book called Abide in Christ, by Andrew Murray and Bo Stevens. First they define what it means to abide, and then go into how to do that in our relationship with God. One of the first steps is to spend time with Him. Only then can we grow closer to Him and learn to be more like Him.

Confession time: I hadn’t done most of the study last week, I’d only glanced over a few pages. I can easily put off reading the Bible and do other things to fill my time. But last night as I drove home, I realized that I often watch TV or play computer games when there’s nothing I have to do. And spending that time talking to Him would be a better use of that time. I decided to do just that.

When I got home, the first thing I noticed was that the porch light was off. I know I turned it on when I left, didn’t I? I asked myself. I went inside and saw the light switch turned to the “on”position. Nothing worked. We’d lost power.

So now I couldn’t watch TV or get on my computer (since it’s a desktop). But I could use my flashlight to read and study the Bible. I spent the time reading the Bible and meditating on what God was telling me. Spending that time with Him was what I needed to do, and need to do each day.

God definitely has a sense of humor. And His ways are not my ways.