AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Make it stop. I can't take any more. There are times when even the mild mannered go coo-coo! For me, today was that day. I, like the rest of the world, have been so tied up in "STUFF" that I didn't realize how pooped I really was.
About 3:00 I walked into the adjoining office, turned off the light and laid down on the couch rubbing my temples. MAN, my head hurts.
The longer I rested (which by the way, was only about 5 minutes) the worse the pressure behind my eyes pulsated. "Lord, I need ten minutes to just scream and release the tension." Well, what did my God ears hear? They heard the ever present still small voice echo, "There is always rest in me."
Well, of course there's rest in God. That's a given. I was just not taking advantage. I wasn't to the point that I offered the stress up to the one who was the true stress reliever. Only one more hour before I can go home. I took a deep breath and stood. Smile. I felt my lips stretch into a grin.
Walk. My feet begin to move. But if I was going to have to physically tell my body what to do, then I wasn't accomplishing "rest."
When the work day ended, I headed home. My eyes bulging with each pusle of my heart. My arms hurt, my neck was stiff. I was pretty much a helpless mess. I fell through the front door and landed on the couch. Still no rest...still no refuge from the headache. So, I climbed the stairs to the bedroom and stretched out on the bed. That's when my God ears started to burn. "There is always rest in me."
"Okay, I give. You win." The cat climbed up on my chest and began to purr. As I gently brushed the fur around his eyes, I found myself recounting the events of the day to God. I could have sworn I heard Him saying, "Huh huh, is that so?"
Suddenly, I heard the words again. "There is always rest in me. You simply have to come to me and seek refuge." Duhhh. Why do we insist on hanging onto the things that offer us pain and stress? Letting go is so much easier.
Rest...we all need rest. Rest for our bodies and rest for our souls, rest for our minds. All of that is found within the gentle listening Lord we call Abba God.
Hey....I...I....wow....I don't have it anymore. MY HEADACHE IS GONE. And I had the power to end it at 3. Shesh! A little hard headed - don't you think?
Alright, so I love to snuggle up with a pooch. Meet my sweet goddog, Skip. He doesn't belong to us but he visits us frequently when his mom and dad travel to visit the grandkids.
Let me share my Skippy story. You see, he was an eight month old puppy when a good friend of ours decided this boxer baby was quickly outgrowing his 3 yr old son. I worked for a vet at the time and I had just really made friends with the Mize's. (The names have been changed to protect the innocent - yeah, right?)
We had cared for their Cocker, "Chuck" for quite sometime and when the sweetie pie became ill it was devastating for all of us.
I had arrived at the vet early that morning and headed immediately to the ICU unit of the clinic to check on Chuck. Popping open the kennel, I laid my hand on his head only to see one eye strain to open. "Hey buddy. Sleep well?" I asked as I adjusted his iv line and began cleaning his kennel. He struggled to his feet and stepped out of the kennel. His eyes said, "Cindy, I want to go for a walk." So, I obliged.
He was weak but determined so I slipped a lead around him and pulled the bag of fluids off the stand flopping them over my shoulder. "Lead the way."
Chuck shook like he'd just climbed out of the tub then a with an unexpected spark in his step, he trotted toward the door. We walked around in the yard for several minutes and headed back into the office. I fed him and bedded him down into a couple of REALLY soft blankets, then leaned over and gave him a kiss. "That, little buddy, is for your mom & dad." I closed his kennel and headed out of the room.
I couldn't have been out of the ICU unit for more than ten minutes. When I came back with Chuck's meds he had snuggled down into the blankets and closed his eyes for eternity. I sat down in the floor and began to sob. After all, we'd grown to love him as much as his family did.
To fast forward...Our friends had a little Boxer puppy and he was becoming to much to handle with a three year old son...so, I recommended this really neat family for him. I called the Mize's and said, "Come see this neat puppy. You'll love him....he's screaming MIZE'S." Now the Mize dad is a very tall lanky man and the Mize mom is a teeny tiny lady. This 8 month old puppy landed somewhere in between the two. Mize mom's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stuttered, "He, he, he's big."
"Just try him for the weekend. I know you'll fall in love." She did, and they did -- fall in love that is. It was a match made in heaven. Here we are eight years later and Skip still snuggles in my arms like the puppy did. The point to this novella is simple.
There's always a first time for everything and if we never venture out to try we'll never know what lies in wait for us. Mom Mize was very hesitant at the size of a Boxer...but she sweetly gave him a try. She trusted me to only offer her the safest and the best.
The same goes for our relationship with our Father in heaven. Sometimes we just have to trust -- sight unseen -- try something new and find what lies ahead is pretty nifty afterall.
The Mize's found their loss in Chuck could never be the same and they'll always harbor a special place in their hearts for that sweet Cocker. But, then Skip and his bounding personality came through the door and screamed, "I can't be Chuck but I can be me. There's a first time for everything...why not try a very unique, handsome, fun loving Boxer Boy?"
It was and still is a match made in heaven. But had it not been for the courage of a teeny lady, willing to try a big ball of fire on for size, the match would have never been struck.
There's a first time for everything....if you're willing to try. Match anyone?
AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Make it stop. I can't take any more. There are times when even the mild mannered go coo-coo! For me, today was that day. I, like the rest of the world, have been so tied up in "STUFF" that I didn't realize how pooped I really was.
