Annie gets restless if I don’t get her out to run at least a few times a week. I often wonder how long I will be able to keep up. My hips, knees and joints scream in protest that first mile until they warm up. She starts off faster than I like but after a couple of miles we will typically fall into a groove and run along at a compromising pace. Unless of course we see a squirrel or cat. Then I’m doomed.
The other day we got out earlier than normal. Young kids were waiting at various corners for their school bus to pick them up. I love those times. I love watching the kids impatiently waiting and playing games with each other. Mom’s hanging out, coffee in hand. It just makes me smile.
We had just ran past one of these bus stops with several kiddos. Annie was doing great and staying focused when out of nowhere a little fluffy, yapping dog comes chasing us. This thing was small enough to run between Annie’s legs. Instead it just ran right up to her, barked and shot in another direction. Annie, who is all about fun and games does a one eighty and with incredible force wags her whole backside. She doesn’t just wag her tail. Every part of your hind-end gets air as she wiggles it right to left. I’m sure she was thinking this little ball of fluff wanted to play and she was up for the challenge.
Within minutes a man is running toward this fluffy dog yelling “ Cookie, Cookie” repeatedly. Cookie was either deaf or could care less what this man wanted of him. Annie just stood her ground wagging to and fro. Meanwhile, I’m wanting to continue our run before my hips and joints lock up on me. Cookie was quick, darting in and yapping at Annie then darting wicked fast so that his owner couldn’t catch him. Then, here comes who I thought might be the owners wife.
“Cookie!” We had Cookie surrounded but it just didn’t matter. He was so fast! It was like watching a live fluffy pinball... yap-yap-yap. Now, here comes the school bus and Cookie is running in and out of the street so I jump out to stop the school bus when yet another man who I realize is wearing the same shirt with same logo as the other two owners. “Cookie!”
At this point my brain finally cooperated and I asked which house was theirs and the man pointed. Knowing that Cookie wanted Annie, we ran toward the house and Cookie followed. A little too quickly and Cookie was gaining speed and ran ahead of us on the sidewalk. What happened next made me smile. A young boy at the bus stop just ahead of us bent down in the middle of the sidewalk with open arms for Cookie to run right into. Cookie stopped in front of this sweet boy, obviously Cookie’s true owner; rolled over and received a nice little belly rub from the boy. I thanked him for saving the day, for saving Cookie and possibly the jobs of the three people chasing Cookie who were all wearing the same cleaning service logo on their shirts. I assumed Cookie lived in the house where a car with the same logo was parked. Oops, they let the dog out.
Annie and I continued our run and I’m pretty certain she thought about Cookie for a while. I know I did. In fact, I can related to Cookie a little bit more than I want to admit. Something or someone comes along and either distracts me or upsets my happy and I come out yapping. I run circles trying to get my way while others are telling me to focus and get back on course. “Get out of the street before you get hurt.”
All the while the One who knows and loves me is waiting for me with open arms to come running back to Him. He really is so patient with me. I wonder if He just smiles while I’m running circles around myself? I am so thankful He never gives up on pursuing us. He loves us more than we can ever wrap our fluffy heads around.
~Pressing On
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6 NLT
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
The other day we got out earlier than normal. Young kids were waiting at various corners for their school bus to pick them up. I love those times. I love watching the kids impatiently waiting and playing games with each other. Mom’s hanging out, coffee in hand. It just makes me smile.
We had just ran past one of these bus stops with several kiddos. Annie was doing great and staying focused when out of nowhere a little fluffy, yapping dog comes chasing us. This thing was small enough to run between Annie’s legs. Instead it just ran right up to her, barked and shot in another direction. Annie, who is all about fun and games does a one eighty and with incredible force wags her whole backside. She doesn’t just wag her tail. Every part of your hind-end gets air as she wiggles it right to left. I’m sure she was thinking this little ball of fluff wanted to play and she was up for the challenge.
Within minutes a man is running toward this fluffy dog yelling “ Cookie, Cookie” repeatedly. Cookie was either deaf or could care less what this man wanted of him. Annie just stood her ground wagging to and fro. Meanwhile, I’m wanting to continue our run before my hips and joints lock up on me. Cookie was quick, darting in and yapping at Annie then darting wicked fast so that his owner couldn’t catch him. Then, here comes who I thought might be the owners wife.
“Cookie!” We had Cookie surrounded but it just didn’t matter. He was so fast! It was like watching a live fluffy pinball... yap-yap-yap. Now, here comes the school bus and Cookie is running in and out of the street so I jump out to stop the school bus when yet another man who I realize is wearing the same shirt with same logo as the other two owners. “Cookie!”
At this point my brain finally cooperated and I asked which house was theirs and the man pointed. Knowing that Cookie wanted Annie, we ran toward the house and Cookie followed. A little too quickly and Cookie was gaining speed and ran ahead of us on the sidewalk. What happened next made me smile. A young boy at the bus stop just ahead of us bent down in the middle of the sidewalk with open arms for Cookie to run right into. Cookie stopped in front of this sweet boy, obviously Cookie’s true owner; rolled over and received a nice little belly rub from the boy. I thanked him for saving the day, for saving Cookie and possibly the jobs of the three people chasing Cookie who were all wearing the same cleaning service logo on their shirts. I assumed Cookie lived in the house where a car with the same logo was parked. Oops, they let the dog out.
Annie and I continued our run and I’m pretty certain she thought about Cookie for a while. I know I did. In fact, I can related to Cookie a little bit more than I want to admit. Something or someone comes along and either distracts me or upsets my happy and I come out yapping. I run circles trying to get my way while others are telling me to focus and get back on course. “Get out of the street before you get hurt.”
All the while the One who knows and loves me is waiting for me with open arms to come running back to Him. He really is so patient with me. I wonder if He just smiles while I’m running circles around myself? I am so thankful He never gives up on pursuing us. He loves us more than we can ever wrap our fluffy heads around.
~Pressing On
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6 NLT
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
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