I took our dog out for a walk this morning. We had another record-breaking snow in Dallas and, though by northern standards it just does qualify as more than a flurry, it’s the source of huge excitement here.
And the dog is really excited. Pulling, half running, head down — a snoot full of snow.
Too often our spirituality is largely a cognitive thing. We are alienated from our surroundings.
That’s no surprise, really. The technological advances that keep us safe and warm during cold weather are also the dynamics that isolate us from the world around us. The upside is that we are safe and warm. The downside is that we fail to revel in the world around us.
One of the distinctive gifts of the Jewish and Christian traditions is the conviction that the world that God has made is a good gift. Take time to enjoy it. The experience will leave you in awe of the world we have been given and the love that God has for us. Nature can be a Sabbath gift that frees us from the tangle of our minds and the narrow preoccupations of our lives, leaving us to breathe a bit freer, aware that it is not all about us.
There are worse things than a snoot full of snow.
My dog, Maple, is an Alaskan Malamute. By any standards she is recognized as a Northern Breed or rather simply put a snow dog. Oddly, she doesn’t want her paws touching any snow. I’m used to it by now as she is 5 years old. The first time was shocking and the next and next but not now. However, when I got home from church today I insisted she have her picture made in the Dallas’ snow. It was a tug of wills. Malamutes are known to be determined. I did win sorta. With all the insistence I could muster I got her out onto the snow but she quickly ran back up the stairs to go inside. Go figure! Yes, I did snap three photos of her quickly.
We did share a great moment two nights ago. She came into the bedroom and got up beside me on the bed. We talked and played for awhile. I wanted to hear her howl as it had been awhile so I howled and she started howling. It was absolutely beautiful! and quite a sight to see with her head held back as she took forth in song.
Maple quite often frees my mind’s tangles and lifts me from my narrow preoccupations. Today and everyday I give thanks for my wonderful dog.