Everyday I experience the awareness of God’s Grace in my life because it is what I have asked for.
Today had a special touch to it.
On Tuesdays I take my son to classes at a local church (we homeschool). While he’s in class I tend to study, socialize, and walk our dog, Moose. While walking Moose we came upon another Mom with her toddler and baby boys walking them in the opposite direction in a double stroller. The little boys saw Moose approaching and smiled, made noises of glee, and reached out to him. When we met I asked their Mom if they’d like to say hi and she approved. I told Moose it was ok to say “Hi”.
Now Moose is a pretty big dog. So when the boys saw him from a distance, the toddler in front had his arms outstretched to him as he smiled. All of a sudden the toddler realizes that Moose is a lot bigger than he realized and his outstretched arms moved back into “I’m not as sure about this” body language. But Moose was Moose. I’ve seen him be very gentle and use his incredible intuition and instinct before, but his actions today were special.
As he approached the toddler, being about two feet away now, he approached slower and slower the closer he got. We stood there and watched as he ever so slowly and gently touched his nose to the toddler’s nose. The toddler let out a gleeful squeal and Moose slowly moved to the baby in back who still had his hand outstretched to Moose. Moose approached almost as slowly and touched his nose to the baby’s most outstretched finger. The baby was happy too.
Their Mom exclaimed, “That’s a good dog!”
It was a special moment filled with God’s grace. And I thank the Lord for such special moments.
Later, while still on the same walk, I noticed several crows flying above and near me. The winds had picked up a some and they were flying largely into the wind. They had no place to go because they were already home on the church’s roof. But they were flying, or rather gliding, so that they were in the wind but not going anywhere. They were positioning themselves in the wind to simply enjoy the sense of flight.
I have wondered if birds appreciated or enjoyed their flying ability. Now I’m sure that they do. They would use as minimal of wing movement as necessary. They would do only what they needed to stay in the same place for about 5 to 30 seconds at a time, just to enjoy that sense of flight and freedom.This is a gentle reminder to me to remember to practice stillness, for within this skill is the ability to sense the freedom of flight.
I’m sure that some people will find other reasons to explain this behavior. Maybe they are right. But it wasn’t just that I saw it. I also felt it. As I watched, I felt one crow in particular simply enjoying it. I couldn’t blame him. It looked more fun than any amusement ride ever could be. I find myself rather envious.
At least I can enjoy the crow enjoying his gift, and I thank God for that. Thank God for all the animals he gave us as our teachers and our friends. Life would be so boring without them.
Blessings,
Irene
Tags: God's Grace with Animals
