A Liberated Mind

First and foremost, I just want to say that this is not going to be a serious post.  At all.  In any way, shape, or form.  I have had a long week, and the last thing I need to be serious right now. 

No, right now I need to make bad jokes, be my normal lame self, and make fun of myself for just being a bad dog owner.

Now I know what you are thinking: “Seth, with all the crap going on in the world right now like 2 wars, the battle over healthcare, the Supreme Court hearings for Sotomayor, and the fact that some really scary people in Stockton, California, think they see Michael Jackson in a tree AND stated that Michael Jackson meant more to them ‘than Jesus does to some people’, you are writing about your dog?”

Why yes.  Yes I am.

See here’s the thing that some people may not know because I never talk about it: My family has a dog.

Huge shocker I know, but yes, we have one.  She is a yellow lab, roughly 85 pounds, and sheds like a contestant on “The Biggest Loser” after being at the ranch for a few days eating nothing but chicken and broccoli and working out 13 hours a day.

And my dog is also missing about a quarter of her tail.  There is a story behind this tragedy, and yes, I am in the middle of that story.  You probably have not heard the story because it happened during my extended time away from the blog – hence why I have never mentioned to most of the eight people who read this blog.

Anyway, if you want to hear the story, I will tell you.  I warn you, however, that it once again highlights the fact that I am a massive idiot.  As if you didn’t know that already.

All that being said, know that this is the problem I have: I do love my dog, and I could not stand giving her away to another family.

BUT, I don’t spend as much time with her as I should because I work, have a family, and I hate having to wash my hands immediately after petting her (again, the shedding thing).

So what should I do to spend more time with her?  My wife already takes her on walks, we let her inside when it gets too hot and too cold (granted, we cage her up in our kitchen to keep the rest of the house from getting dirty), and I am the one that bathes her and brushes her out…every few weeks. 

I also throw the ball with her in the backyard and clean her off when she finds the mud hole.  Heck, I even feed her twice a day and put medicine on her that keeps her heart from getting worms and keeps her body from having fleas and ticks all over it. 

Okay, that was not necessary to add in those details.  Sorry.

However, even after all of that, I just don’t feel like I give her the attention she deserves.  I mean, seriously, this has been a quandry for me for like the past 3 years since our daughter was born.

Okay, that is probably not true – I gave up paying attention to the dog about a year after we got her and we have had her for over 5 years now. 

If I were to be honest, I only bathe her when it gets to the point of her stinking up our house and my wife “strongly suggesting” I bathe her.  I only play ball with her in the spring and fall when the weather is nice.  And yeah, putting her only in the kitchen and not the rest of the house isn’t probably the nicest thing to do.

But our house is much cleaner now than it used to be.  That is good, right?

Um, no. 

Holy crap, I am a bad dog owner.

But I want to do better, I really do.  So if you have any ideas or tips on how I could be a better dog owner, I would really appreciate them.  Just be nice.

And if all of this is not enough motivation to communicate your thoughts, know this: If I get no brilliant ideas, my dog will just continue to be lonely and depressed. 

So there.

S

It is with sadness in my heart to report that this afternoon my friend’s mother I have previously written about in my last two posts has passed away after her battle with cancer.  No words can describe how much I hurt for my buddy, and please continue to pray for he and his family.

Thanks for listening over the last few days as I have written about my friend and his mother. Blessings to you each.

S

This weekend my buddy and his mother who is fighting cancer were constantly on my heart.  I wrote this in response to how much I ache for her and her family as they walk through this difficult time.

Enjoy it and be encouraged…

S

—

A Mother and Son’s Journey

John’s mother is afflicted. Again.

By Adam and Eve’s rebellion, their desire, and their choice to welcome sin.

John’s mother is suffering. Again.

As the victim of their conspiracy, unfairness, and her silent killer creeping in.

John’s mother cannot overcome. Again.

Her time is closing in, relief is coming, and all she knows will be made right.

John’s mother misses her child. Again.

As she did the first time, the next time, and every time he catches her eye.

John’s mother loses a tear. Again.

It rolls down her thin cheek, hits the bed, and carries with it John’s name.

John’s mother fears the end. Again.

Though she knows a better place; it’s been prepared, and she will no longer feel pain.

John’s mother fights on. Again.

She will never give up, never give in, and always live by His grace.

John’s mother comforts him. Again.

As she smiles proudly at him, holds one last embrace, and lands a final kiss to John’s face.

John’s mother challenges him. Again.

By the way she loves, her spirit, and the way she holds her head high.

John’s mother knows what’s coming. Again.

She is prepared for heaven, her new body, and the look in her Father’s proud eye.

John’s mother is dying. Again.

As she has never been. Though she beat it before, Jesus is now calling her home to Him.

John’s mother will be alive. Again.

Though she always has been. And as she closes her eyes, John knows he will see her again.

It’s Friday.  I am taking a half day off to hang out with my two-year old daughter.  Our air conditioning is cranked at full blast.  We even have naps scheduled for later on this afternoon.

Things could not be any better it seems.

Then I get an e-mail from a buddy of mine that says his mom is back in the hospital, and they have found cancer.  Again.  This time it’s worse because there is lots of it now.  Frankly, it doesn’t look good.

So I called him, and I talked to him for a bit.  

Though I tried to do my best, I pretty much failed as miserably as I could have in consoling him and helping the situation.  I did that thing we all do, and I fumbled the ball as I tried to be encouraging in the face of tragedy.  Even in my sincerity, the words that came out of my rambling mouth were inadequate; nothing could make this right.

Sure, I told him that it sucked and that we don’t truly understand God even if we think we have a small part of that Mystery figured out.  Fact is, we have no clue about anything in a situation like this.

And I told him to call me if he needed to vent and get it all out there.  I am not sure how much that would help, but I said to him, “I am here if you need me to listen”.  The least I could do was that.

The simple fact is that the whole situation is sad.  And unfair.  And crap.

And it’s a part of life.

And there is nothing anyone can do.

But do you ever wonder why this sort of stuff just happens sometimes out of the blue to people you really care about?  This is no celebrity we don’t truly know or an older relative of ours at the end of their long life.  This is a mother, a grandmother of a baby grandchild, and a wife in the prime of her life.

This should be the best years this woman has.

Yet it might all soon be gone.

Just like that.

A gut shot coming out of nowhere.  Without warning.  Hitting harder than anything’s that ever hit before.

Seriously, that sucks so bad.

So after I got off the phone with my buddy, I figured out that whatever I had on tap for the blog this afternoon would have to wait.  I realized I needed to tell that story for a couple of reasons:

First, pray for my buddy and his family.  God knows who you are talking even if you don’t know his name, and he and his family need God’s comfort and grace right now in the worst way.

Second, hug your family this weekend.  Let them know you love them.  Tell them you appreciate all they do and who they are in your life.  Seriously.  Be annoying about it if you have to, but communicate with them what they mean to you.  And make it a point to do this more often from here on out.

Because you know what?  We all take gut shots from time to time, and though we have no idea when they are coming, we need to do our best to be ready for them.  And we need to make sure those around us are ready for them, too. 

Just think about that as you hug the neck of someone you love this weekend, faithful readers.

S