Buddy and the Birthday Party
by Phyllis and Samuel Hooten
On a recent sunny Monday morning, we were walking our two dogs
Buddy and Sassy in our neighborhood park. Before we could even
tell him, “Bad Dog!”, Buddy gobbled up a piece of cake that been
dropped in the grass by a nearby covered pavilion. The cake had
probably slid off a plate of either a careless child or distracted
guest at a birthday party held in the park the previous day. As
we looked at our mischievous canine, we began wondering if there
were some lessons God wanted to reveal to us.
One lesson is that of lingering effects. Although the
gifts had been opened, the party games played, decorations taken
down and all attendees had left hours ago, that discarded cake
slice was certainly a lingering effect of the celebration from
Buddy’s viewpoint. This made us reflect on how we as believers
can conduct ourselves with those we encounter throughout the day.
Romans 12:11 tells us “Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the
Spirit, serve the Lord.” When we encounter others in our daily
lives, are we conveying our zeal for the Lord and desire to serve
Him? This can translate into showing interest in others, taking
time to listen, and praying with them as they share their
challenges and burdens. Conducting ourselves this way plus
sharing such scriptures as 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxieties
on him because he cares for you” may be great ways to have a
lingering effect on someone who is in need of feeling the Lord’s
presence and love long after our encounter with them.
After watching Buddy devour the cake in two bites, another
lesson became apparent. This is the importance of waiting on the
Lord for provision. Psalm 34:10 tells us: “The young lions may
grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good
thing.” Although that scripture encourages us to look to Him for
our needs, many of us can become impatient while waiting for the
manifestation of the good things He promises us. We can be
tempted to behave like Buddy, scarfing down something that is not
good and possibly even dangerous for us. Just like Buddy’s
unhealthy choice, pursuing our desires without waiting on the Lord
could have unpleasant consequences and/or delay receiving the
blessings He desires to give us.
Another revelation unfolded as we watched Sassy’s reaction to the
cake grabbing scenario. Sassy sniffed Buddy’s mouth and was
apparently jealous thinking she missed out on a treat. We began
wondering how much time is wasted when we become so focused on
what someone else is receiving without stopping to consider if
that is something we really want or need. Have we ever been so
preoccupied with someone’s new house, new car, promotion at work,
or other markers of success that we lose sight of Him and fail to
wait to see what He has for us? We are told in Psalm 16:5:
“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot
secure.” This verse helps remind us to keep our eyes upon Him
for our provision and not compare our situation with those around
us.
As we continued walking after Buddy’s ‘snack stop’ we
noticed he seemed overly friendly to the city worker who is
usually there during our daily jaunt through the park. We
wondered if Buddy was showing misguided appreciation thinking it
was the worker who had left him the treat. Watching this, we
begin wondering how often we have done something similar. While
it is important to express our gratitude to someone showing us
kindness, we also do not want to fail to thank the Lord for
orchestrating the entire situation which resulted in blessing us.
To help us to more fully show appreciation of our blessings, it
can be helpful to remember James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly light,
who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Finally, who knew that a Monday morning walk in the park
and a naughty mutt could produce such rich and wonderful lessons?
This experience has helped us recognize He is present throughout
each and every day and uses multiple ways to communicate with us.
Although we are told in Job 37:5 “God’s voice thunders in
marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding”
sometimes He chooses to speak to us in the routine and the mundane
tasks of our daily lives.
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