At the Foot of His Bed

So, as many of you heard, Ryan got a dog. He's this little black mop of a thing. Not much different then my dog. Completely black with a slightly brown underside, so black in fact that sometimes it's even hard to figure out where even his eyes are, among all that black.

Two dogs, similar shape, color, and appearance. In the dim light, it's even hard for ME to differentiate from the two of them if their faces aren't looking at me. Though, with all their similarities, their personalities couldn't be any different.

Samwise, or Sammywise, as my little cousin calls him, is VERY independent. Sleeps by himself, sits by himself, and only comes to me when he thinks he's going to get something. If I yell his name once, he'll come bounding towards me like a hell hound. But if I don't reward him with "the goods", well that's the last of that. I'll be lucky if I even get pompous glance from him the next time I call him. He's friendly enough though. When people come over, he's the first to say hi. However, don't expect him to stick around once he's throughly sniffed you in ever creavice conceivable. However, in many ways I envy him. He has this, "I don't care what you think", attitude and stance. When you pick him up does he jump so it's easier for you to lift him? Does he tuck in his feet so you can hold him up nicely? Of course not. Whatever position you picked him up in, that's the position he'll stay in and if you don't like that you may as well put him down. He doesn't need the affirmation of no one, no how.

Then there's Dickens. Good ole Dickens. Not only does he come when I call, but he'll fly off the couch, bound between the other dogs and their food (not always the smartest move), race through the house, then continues to launch himself four feet in the air landing right beside me on the bed. Does it matter if I have a treat? maybe... Does he care if I ask him to this a hundred times a day? possibly... But he never shows it! He loyally follows me and obeys me no matter how daunting it may seem ( I don't sit still very well.) Sometimes I'll even come out of the BATHROOM and there he will be, just sitting by the door. His favorite time of the day is "time for bed", where he chases after me, snuggles himself at the foot of my bed and he just sleeps. Whenever I look around, if I don't see him, it's almost always because he's tucked under my feet, curled up on the carpet. For him, his job, come hell or highwater, seems to be just to be with me. To rest near me. To follow me.

During this time of waiting on God I've really had to examine how I am responding to God. Do I sit by myself, too preoccupied with what's in it for me? Or am I like Dickens. He can't really feed himself, wash himself, give himself water...or really do anything other then eat, sleep, and play. Yet, he's learned to follow the voice of his master. "to lie down in green pastures...to be led by streams of water". So utterly dependent, so utterly needy.

God is the reason I am able to wake up in the morning. He is my Master, and I know he is utterly in love with me. What other reason do I need to spend the rest of my days pursuing Him?
What other reason do I need?
to just lay by his feet
and sleep at the foot of his bed.