“Have patience with all things but first of all with yourself.” —Francis de Sales
All things includes all things. Even dogs. And especially Frankie.
Many of you have probably smiled at the story you might sometimes hear Christians share about how a woman asked a preacher to pray with her to help her have more patience. As the story goes, the preacher began praying for this woman to have all sorts of problems and troubles. The woman interrupted his prayer, telling him she wanted him to pray for her to have patience. Not trouble. And then he reminds her of a verse in the Bible.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. …Romans 5:3-4.
Of course, not all of us, actually very few of us, can look upon tribulations in our life with the calmness and faith and glory of Paul. Even so we sometimes, usually with a smile, say we didn’t pray for patience when we are beset with a bevy of irritating happenings in our life. I sometimes say that when I talk about bringing Frankie home for the dog shelter. “I must have prayed for patience before Frankie caught my eye at the human shelter.” That’s because there is no doubt he has given me plenty of reasons to need patience with him. There is also no doubt that, if I were a better dog trainer with an abundance of patience to begin with, he might have learned better behavior and not continually given me reason to need that extra patience.
But Frankie has a mind of his own. Not all the time, but a lot of the time. I live on a farm with plenty of acres for him to explore but there are days when all he wants to explore are the yards of the neighbors. The neighbors have chickens and ducks and nice yards that don’t need holes dug in them. Frankie is not critter friendly. He is ready to attack chickens and ducks and dig holes to find underground critters. He does love people, especially children, but he can be over enthusiastic and, especially when I first got him, apt to jump up in his eagerness to be noticed. He is better about that now. I did train him a little.
When we walk, he is not a dog to make sure he stays near me. He can disappear in a minute, less than a minute. If he finds something interesting, say one of those critters to dig for, he can stay disappeared for a good while. I used to try to find him and would discover I was looking one direction, perhaps where he had first headed, when he was actually already on my other side after making a circle through the trees or bushes or perhaps he flew over my head. Well, not really. But I learned I couldn’t figure out where he might be.
His beautiful black fur seems to attract cockleburs and sticktights and more. Once, but so far only once, he found a skunk. I hope that’s the only time. But the worst thing he does and the thing that requires the most patience from me is the running off to the neighbors. At times we are down in the field on a walk and suddenly, he will take off back toward the house in a run. If I yell at him to stop, he looks back over his shoulder at me and runs faster toward the neighbors’ houses. I have sometimes tried to catch him, but he runs much faster than I do and the hills don’t bother him at all. They do me! And so, I gather my patience and look for him in whichever neighbor’s yard he chooses to explore. I try to grab him before he does damage and so far, I have. Sometimes one of the neighbor’s sons will grab him for me and bring him to me.
I give Frankie a talking to, but so far he hasn’t shown any sign of really listening. Instead the next time it is time for a walk, he gives me that pitiful look that says he has to have a walk and maybe he will be good. And I am hopeful that’s true. But not so hopeful that now I haven’t started leaving Frankie on leash longer out on this big farm with fields he could run in as long as he didn’t run off to the neighbors. Sigh.
But you know what? That is the way we as Christians often are. Promising to be better. Promising not to run off in all the wrong directions and yet, we often do. Then we can get into trouble and need forgiveness. The Lord is merciful to forgive our straying, our stumbling.
“I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people” Exodus 34:6 (CEV)
I am thankful for the Lord’s patience with me, aren’t you?