Now when I say love I mean love, there is nothing that gets him more excited. We only have to whisper the word and he is thrown into trembling fits of exuberant joyousness.
We now no-longer say the 'walk' unless it has been established that we are ready to leave immediately, however that doesn't always work. In fact, it seems that Rocky has learned to spell the word. It's seems to be now that we don't even need to talk audibly for him to realise a walk is on the cards it's almost as if he can hear the thought formulating in our minds and that flicks his 'disproportionate excitement switch'. (We all have one just not necessarily for walks. My switch is triggered by the thought of KFC, the wife's is all about 'Larkrise to Candleford' being back on the TV.)
When Rocky gets excited he puts his all into it. His eyes widen, his eyes pin back. He starts to gyrate like a Rodeo Bull doing half moon-jumps at the door. He trembles and quivers all over, whining slightly. All this is incredibly cute but it does have it's downside - the tail.
Rocky does not normally bother with ornaments and the like so we have no fear about little bits and bobs about the house. However the tail is not as discerning as the brain. The wife has a small collection of Willow Tree figurines. You may have seen them, they're freaky-looking wooden people with no faces. We have three on a low-level shelf in the hallway. Rocky got so excited the other day that his tail knocked the three of them flying leaving their expressionless heads facing in directions unbecoming of a lady and a very concerned husband frantically checking for chips and scrapes (thankfully there where none).
The point is that in his excitement Rocky lost focus, lost control and did unnecessary damage. How often in our excitement over doing something good do we end up causing harm.
It is right, for example, to be concerned if our friends are having a difficult time with their kids, that does not make it right to charge in offering uninvited pearls of wisdom. It is right to help those in financial difficulties if we can but not to the point of public embarrassment. It is right to want to help quarrelling friends to heal their relationships but not to apportion blame and massage our egos.
In these instances we must ask for wisdom (God gives it freely to those who ask without doubting) and recognise that we are not the solution to everyone's problems, that it is not always the case that we must be the ones to teach and instruct and meddle.
It is a fine line to tread and each instance must be considered independently. These things are difficult and therefore the only logical thing is to ask for help from someone who knows better, someone who knows best. God Himself.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5
Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
Proverbs 26:17
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Tomorrow sees the first guest post of Jill Harkness. She is a woman of wisdom and it'll be worth reading so be sure not to miss it.
Too much build up phil...!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite ever willow tree is the doctored, ginger haired one in your mothers house...immense!!
(I do always feel the need to draw or stick faces on them though!)