Soak
It hadn’t been
but a few minutes since I let them out. I know they had enough water. That day
I had filled up their bowls twice already. It wasn’t even noon. But it was near
90 degrees. The humidity was thick. Finally, the dog days of summer were upon
us.
That’s why my
heart started racing when I saw him lying out there.
From where I
was, I couldn’t tell if he was breathing. Chloe was busy chasing after a
butterfly. But Silas, he was lying motionless in the middle of the backyard.
Quickly I
opened the door and yelled his name.
“Silas! Hey
pal.”
Nothing.
No lifting of
the head.
No wagging of
the tail.
With a little
more angst in my voice I again yelled, “Hey pup. Let’s get out of this heat.
Come on Silas.”
Sweet Chloe
came bumbling over but Silas, he remained still in one spot.
As the sweat
began to run down my back, I stepped off the porch and onto the rocks, making
as much noise as possible to get his attention.
“Want a treat
big fella?” I yelled.
No response.
Nothing.
By this time,
the adrenaline was pulsating through my body. My walk had turned into a jog.
Chloe was interested now too.
Finally, when
Chloe and I were within a few feet of the golden dog his head raised and his
tail started wagging. My heart stopped racing. And the two dogs started
playing.
This wasn’t the
first time Silas has done this to me. He often practices lying motionless in
the sun during the hottest part of the day. No food or squeaky toy is ever
enticing enough to get him inside. It is as if he enters a state of being that
causes him to be still.
While I watched
my dog basking in the sun, I thought of my favorite part from the evening
prayer liturgy that is found in our Prayer Book:
Jesus
Christ is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.
Stay
with us, O Christ, for it is evening and the day is almost over.
Let
your light scatter the darkness and illumine your church.
Soon the summer
days and the accompany heat will transition into the falling leaves and
temperatures of autumn. Before you know it, we will likely be walking in a
winter wonderland and lamenting for days like these.
So I encourage
you, like Silas, to take time to sit in the sun. Be responsible about it. Drink
water. Wear sunglasses or your favorite Chicago Cubs baseball hat. Soak yourself
in the sun, letting it fill you with God’s love. Breathe in this love and
breathe out your thanks.
Jesus Christ is
the light of the world. There is comfort in that. There is hope in the light and peace in the warmth.
As Labor Day approaches, may you find a
sunny spot to soak up the sun, while basking in the warmth of God's loving presence and the good news that to God, you're golden.
No comments:
Post a Comment