Have you ever gotten out of bed and regretted it? I’m an owl, not a lark; so climbing out of bed is a chore in and of itself. But this morning was exceptionally disturbing. I stepped on something. Actually, it wasn’t one thing—there were two. They looked like crumpled up foil gum wrappers, but then why were they hard?
I bent over to pick up those things, and something threaded between my toes. Not fully awake yet, I gathered up all three things and couldn’t figure out what they were. Three furry creatures pressed close for attention. One ought to be under doghouse arrest for chewing up the mystery item.
I bent over to pick up those things, and something threaded between my toes. Not fully awake yet, I gathered up all three things and couldn’t figure out what they were. Three furry creatures pressed close for attention. One ought to be under doghouse arrest for chewing up the mystery item. The suspects: 
Tuxedo “Tux,” the senior member of the dog pack ----->
Dottie, “Baby Girl” 
the pretty one
<--------
<--------
and Rocky, Dottie's twin brother
and the life of the party
---------->
and the life of the party
---------->
Hmmm. I spied another… ahem… gum wrapper. If it weren’t so chewed up and I had my glasses, I could read the writing on one side. As I rose, I absently picked up a black shoestring and noticed one last bit about a yard away. White lettering on the shoestring told me what that last item was.
Remember that old commercial?
“Is it live, or is it _______?”
News announcement: It’s not alive, and it once was M------. That flash drive once held all my copies of previous books and several more in progress. It held years of research. That nifty little thing was reliable, convenient, and due to the neckstring, it’s the only one I’ve failed to lose. Until now.
Oh, wait. See that? It’s the deer-in-the-headlights look. The guilty party is wearing that stricken, you-figure-it-out expression.
Oh, wait. See that? It’s the deer-in-the-headlights look. The guilty party is wearing that stricken, you-figure-it-out expression.
Dottie did it. We adopted her and Rocky just two months ago, and they’d been badly abused. Rocky’s almost normal now. Dottie panics at any noise or fast movement. She’ll eat out of my hand—but never from a bowl. Instead of cowering in the corner of the backyard, she’s now comfortable in half of the house. We’re letting her set the pace, and her progress is touching.Hand full of destroyed flash drive, I said, “Oh, no!” Instantly Dottie dropped into a protective posture and looked for escape. She couldn’t get past the other dogs and out of the bedroom, so she scuttled backward and halfway under the bed. I reached to reassure her, but she cringed. Heartbreaking, isn’t it?
I sat and crooned to her of love and forgiveness and safety. Gradually, she inched back to me. As I write this, she’s nudging my thigh to remind me it’s treat time.
I sat and crooned to her of love and forgiveness and safety. Gradually, she inched back to me. As I write this, she’s nudging my thigh to remind me it’s treat time.
Okay, I'm back. Treat time is when the Disneyland fireworks go off. It's important to stick with routine. To them, the noise isn't scary since we're paired it with a reward.
As I said, I’d never lost that one flash drive. I’ve managed to misplace several others. Over the course of the day, two of those cropped up. I also found a stack of old disks.
How often have I done something I shouldn’t and then cowered when God
called my name instead of running to His side, trusting in His love and forgiveness? Admittedly, it would be far better if I hadn’t blown it to begin with. But He doesn’t remember what I did. He only looks at me in love. The difference between God’s forgiveness and mine is that He forgets… and I’m desperately trying to find my memory…sticks!
Gentle memories to you,
Cathy
P.S. It’s going to sound unbelievable to anyone who hasn’t endured the puppy stage, but as I finished writing this blog, Rocky tore the stuffing out of a stuffed animal. Am I the only one whose puppies have the midnight munchies?
Oh no! Sure hope you had backups of the backups. But no, you're not alone with puppies and the midnight munchies. Our dog did too when we first got her at 4 months old. We'd wake up many times in those early months to surprises and mystery items. Sure glad she's over that now, and praise God she never got into gnawing on the furniture!
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether to laugh or cry!!!! I think I'll do a bit of both. Nothing like testing the depth of your forgiveness (not to mention humour)! What sweethearts though and at least they didn't try to bury the evidence. They owned up in a way! Lesson learned: back up the back up. Which I suppose with your God connection. He's definitely our ultimate backup!
ReplyDeleteOh Cathy what a fiasco!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help it,I fell in love with your mischievious little bundles straight away!
My sister's dogs used to come to our place all the time (we lived next door so we shared them.) Their names were Abbey and Jasper, who was Abbey's son. They were Labs and used to eat anything in sight. One day I looked out of the window and there was Abbey with a gourmet breakfast of our neighbour's sausages hanging out of her mouth, looking as though all her birthdays and Xmases had come at once! Then she had a party during the night and had a wonderful feast of all our chooks, and even ate the feathers. Jasper,not to be out done, ate several pairs of shoes,my son's tennis racquet and my brother in law's jumper (sweater)off the clothes line (until there was nothing left) and then to cap it off, ate my Final Nursing Assignment! I nearly killed him (figuratively speaking).
The thing that saved them was their loyalty and heroics when scampering off one day, came across a child who was so close to being bitten by a snake. Abbey stayed while Jasper scampered off to get help.
Truly God's creatures!
Thanks for your post Cathy, I did enjoy it.
Rosie.
Oh, Cathy. What a story and what a beautiful lesson of forgiveness and lovingkindness. And God bless you for rescuing those two abused dogs. Oh, and buy yourself a portable hard drive that sits high above dog level.
ReplyDeleteone of the reason DH, wont let me have a house dog,
ReplyDeletesorry that had to happen,
changing the subject here abit, I really like the new backgound! :)
I'll be searching through old purses and drawers and coat pockets to see if I find more of the drives. God's been good to have given me back so much!
ReplyDeleteI'd be delighted to report the only odd thing they've eaten were a few slices of fresh peach, but we traded the oddball diet in for a fresh hole in the backyard. Why, oh, why did my son's dog eat DOGS FOR DUMMIES?
Cath
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your post and the dog pictures are adorable! And such a great example of God's forgiveness. My little Chihuahua is always getting into mischief (chewing a plug out of my favorite rug in the family room, chewing holes in my bathroom rugs, chewing the back panel of the TV remote...don't ask (sigh). I do let him know that it was "bad" to do that, but when he gives me those big brown eyes with a look that says "Mommy will you please forgive me", my heart just melts! Okay I'm a push over! But WOW...if we feel that way about our ANIMALS, how much more does God love us and is just waiting to forgive us as we ask Him. I guess that's what Jesus was trying to convey to us in the gospels;the care and detail of birds and the lillies of the fields being His examples of the assurance God's love and care for us!
Thanks Cathy!
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteSnickers, my beagle, would fit in well with your darlings. Last week he got ahold of a kleenex box full of tissues... The question I have is that they know they are being naughty but they take it to the spot you are most likely to see it. Silly dogs.
I email all of my updates, research, character sketches...everything to myself. Because someday Snickers will find my flash drive and want to give me that special gift as well. :)