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| Another Lesson with Bay |
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This Labor Day weekend was really nice. We had beautiful weather the whole weekend. Twice I made the trip to the beach with my dog Bay. This time, I wasn't alone though. Each time I had some of the children with me. They are always excited to come along. I don't know any kid who doesn't like to play in the water. Even my older ones still enjoy it.
Both times I was at the beach this weekend it was high tide and the water was rough. Very typical for a September evening. Smooth water in the morning, rough water by evening...always seems to hold true on the Chesapeake Bay in the late summer. It still provides for a beautiful walk - a time to reflect while watching Bay do what he does best.
As many of you know who have followed my posts, Bay is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. He loves the water. More than anything else, he loves being in the water. Very recently I tired of finding sticks big enough for him to retrieve and had to move on to a training tool called Air Kong. These are really neat toys. They are made out of tennis-ball material with some added weight. Attached to one side is a string that allows you to throw the thing like you are a major league baseball player. With Bay, the further I throw it, the happier he is. He wants to swim, search, and bring it back to me.
 This time was a little different than others, though. The waves were very high. I would throw the toy and Bay would watch it hit and go after it. Trouble came when the waves were higher than he could see. He would get turned slightly and not be able to find the toy to retrieve. He would swim back and forth looking and looking some more.
I have been working with him on some basic commands. He knows that when I call come, he is to come towards me. If I say go, he goes further away. However, we haven't dealt with the left and right commands yet. This was really the first time we needed any of them. He would watch the toy land in the water and take off running with everything he had in him. Jumping through the water he is about as ungraceful as one can imagine, but once he hits the water deep enough to swim, his grace turns in to beauty as he swims naturally even over and through the big waves. Several times, though, as the waves came over him, he lost sight of where he was going. Back and forth he would swim looking and searching. Finally, he would look at me. I would tell him "come" or "go" and would guide him to where he needed to go. Bay always found it. A couple of times he was really worn out by the time he brought it back to the shore.
We finished a good 25 retrieves. He could have done more, but I think he had completed a good workout. Then we headed home. Once home, Bay sits in the front lawn while I hose him down. The salt water is itchy and the cold fresh water feels nice to him. He likes it a lot. He knows to sit, hand me his paws one at a time, lie down, then roll over. He really likes the "roll over" part where I spay and rub his belly.
We are done for the day. The dog and his master sit on the porch and rest. Bay licks his hair probably getting more of the salt off that I missed. I sip my ice tea and reflect on the day. I suppose most trainers would reflect on the details of how the dog-master team is working and what can be done to improve it. Not me. I reflect on the lessons God has shown me. Today's lesson is a reminder.
3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
I found that I was very pleased with Bay when he could spot the Air Kong and bring it back to me. However, when he got in trouble, when he got lost, when he wasn't sure where the toy was, he would look back at me. I would try to guide him. It was always tough, though. The waves were bouncing him up and down. The wind made it so it was very hard for him to hear me. Yet he would watch me and try very hard to do what I was telling him to do. When he found the toy, me heart would leap for joy and I would be so excited when he brought it back to me.
As I sit drinking my tea, I wonder if God is that way with us. He lets us focus on our goals. Most of the time, they are good goals. He knows we work hard to achieve them. But, every now and then we lose sight of where we are headed. We know we are close, but the waves and the wind are too strong, too distracting. We look to Him for guidance. Sometimes even then it is hard to hear because of where we have ourselves, but we try, we listen, we want to hear, we want to follow His guidance. Then we see it. The thing we missed that was so important. We see it and we are happy. We grab on and we look at Him. At that moment in time, I wonder if He leaps for joy and shares in our excitement. Something tells me He does.
Oh, I am not saying my relsationship with God is anything like Bay's relationship with me. There are a few similarities, but only a few. Bay will never be like me. I will someday be just like Him. Yet, in these moments walking along the beach with my dog, I experience a closeness with God that is unmistakable. He loves me. He wants me to enjoy life. He knows if I do what I am meant to do, there will be waves and some wind, but I know, He will guide me through it.
Just another day with my dog and my God.
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| To add a comment to "Another Lesson with Bay" |
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| September 03, 2007 |
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A good day, a good dog, and a very good God.
Thanks Voice..... |
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| September 03, 2007 |
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| Voice, you are a great story teller. I smiled when I saw another blog of lessons from God and Bay, and it didn't disappoint! |
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| September 03, 2007 |
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| I love it when you tell these stories. You should do more of it. Great lesson! |
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| September 03, 2007 |
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I really enjoyed reading this. I loved the pictures of the water....I like the mountains where we live but I absolutely love the beach!
Thanks for a fresh perspective on God's loving guidance :) I agree with Kathy; you are a great storyteller! |
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| September 04, 2007 |
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Thank you all for your kind words. TGBTG!!
A quick read again this morning and I find more typos and errors. I try to find them all before I post. Sometimes it just isn't possible.
Once again. Thank you for your comments. I am glad you enjoy sharing these moments with me. |
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| September 04, 2007 |
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| Good read i love beach stories and dog stories and God stories and it's cool how yours was about all my favorites............. |
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| September 05, 2007 |
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| Is is just me, or do we all want to walk on the beach with Bay and hear from the Lord? I agree with all of the above DC...the Lord has blessed you with the gift of storytelling. TGBTG |
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