Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Back To Basics

Dog walks have always given me a great opportunity to be in nature while I pray and meditate.  I love to walk with Sundae and be in silence.  The only setback to this is that Sundae loves to pull me along, chase leaves and squirrels and almost pulls my arm off as she jumps after other dogs.  It doesn't matter if we've been to the dog park or not she has lots of energy, walks very fast and some days I just can't keep up.

It has been making me increasingly frustrated and embarassed.  Especially when she decides she needs to play and jump with every dog that we come across.

I feel like I'm wearing the 'bad dog owner' t-shirt when we walk!

So in my frustration (it took me a while) I decided it was time to call in an expert.  So I called my 'dog whisperer' friend and she gave me a crash course in getting Sundae to walk 'respectfully'.

Funny enough, before we could begin the walking instruction we had to go back to basics.  We had to start at sit and stay.  We had to go back to the beginning.  Something we hadn't done with Sundae.  She could sit, but she didn't stay.  We never taught her to do those things and so we couldn't expect her to listen to us when walking.

Funny thing.  This same thing applies to our own personal journeys.

Lately I've been searching (more desperately than usual) for a deeper connection to Spirit.  I've been searching for deeper knowledge and understanding of myself.  I feel like I'm at a time in my life when I am seeking and striving to become 'better' more than I ever have before.

I am literally a dog on a leash, I've read and listened and learned and now I am ready to go go go!  The problem is that I haven't really learned the basics.  I haven't learned to sit and stay (aka be still)! 

"Be still and know that I am God" is a scripture that I love but never seem to take the time to digest.

If what I am looking for is a deeper connection with God.  Then all I have to do is be still.  Nothing else matters but this stillness.

Once we know how to sit and stay everything else becomes effortless.  It's much easier to move forward without straining and stressing out after you've taken the time to gain clarity through stillness.  It's easier to speak clearly. It's easier to listen more closely.  Being able to sit and stay gives us the gift of deeper connection that we are searching for.





 

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