Persistence

My first apartment was a rented basement at the top of Walter’s Hill, a dead-end rising a mile above town with just a dozen or so scattered houses, where no one else  seemed to travel to or from town without a car; a place where it almost made sense that a couple of dogs were allowed to roam freely.  Duncan was a German Shepherd-mix, near as I can remember, whereas Samson was a very juvenile golden retriever.  I could escape them by bicycle easily enough; the incline was steep, and exit velocity easy to achieve.  Walking, however, was far more difficult… and I had no other options as of yet. 

The problem wasn't that they were mean dogs, but that they were friendly; they wanted to come along for whatever trip I was taking, and they could hear when I closed the door on my way out.  My skills as a stealth-pedestrian failed one morning on the way to work, and while I was able to chase Samson away, Duncan wouldn’t budge, no matter how rudely I behaved.  My bike must have been broken down, as I didn’t go back for it, but rather decided that I would just have to bring Duncan along.  Work was outdoors anyway. 

Thanks to pwcorgigirl at Flick’r for the photo!

 

We headed fifteen minutes across town to meet my ride.  I explained the situation to Joe and he, in turn, explained that he wasn’t willing to let a dog ride in the back of his empty, enclosed pickup.  I thought he must have misunderstood the nature of my request, but no; he understood and was adamant.  So… would a dog, abandoned in the middle of a town where he’d never been, find his way safely home as Joe suggested?  Possibly, but I didn’t like the odds.  I decided to hike/jog the remaining ten miles to work, and asked Joe to tell my boss that I would be two or three hours late.

Despite the inconvenience, I came to appreciate Duncan during that journey.  He probably covered twice the distance I did, as dogs do, but always stayed near and away from the highway traffic.  He kept tabs on me, to be sure that we were sticking together, and responded when called away from distractions.  My backpack was loaded with rain gear, which made it very hot on my back, so I would remove it from my shoulders and rotate it to one hand, then the other… and I knew he could smell my lunch in the outer pocket.  Nevertheless, he feigned disinterest - even when I got into the food myself - politely waiting until I offered him some about an hour and a half in.  I’d never before known a dog not to be pushy about such things. 

He made his point as the trip wore on…  Clearly, I wasn’t just his excuse to get off the hill, nor was I simply a meal ticket; for him, it really was all about taking the journey together, wherever it might lead.  And by the time we reached our destination, I was pretty confident that this dog would stay near me and behave.  My boss, unfortunately, was not; she was concerned that he would run around knocking over trees.  No - I mean that seriously.  I worked at a container nursery, where the plants all stand outside in pots, so maybe she had a point... but it sure seemed stupid. 

Ten minutes after arriving, we turned back toward home; twenty five miles, round trip, and – you guessed it – dog tired upon our return.

 As with many life stories, there is a moral.  God showed me that day that, if I’m willing to do all this for a neighbor’s dog that I’d barely met, how much more is He willing to be radically inconvenienced for my sake?  For our sakes?  I guess the cross should have communicated this clearly enough already, right?  We may misunderstand His purpose or leading at points along the way, but if our heart is truly focused on taking the journey with Him, He will take great pleasure in us, even despite the extra burden we place upon Him and frustration we may cause. 

I share this to encourage you.  None of us grasps and follows the directions toward transformation in perfect form, but who cares?  It’s critical to embrace transformation, yes, but it’s still penultimate.  The ultimate point is far more simple: value Jesus’ company/presence and persist in following Him closely. 

COUNTERPOINT:

Twenty years later and toward the other side of the country, we were living at the edge of Perrysburg.  A walk around the block to the south of us equalled two and a half miles of travel, and that’s the direction I would normally go.  One evening, halfway into the walk, a dog came out to join me.  She was persistent in following me from fifteen feet back, but whenever I turned to greet her, she would spin around and trot nervously in the other direction.  Then we would resume.  I couldn’t get near her and I couldn’t get free from her.  So I ignored her, assuming that she would give up, since she showed no real interest in me.  After another half mile, she was still there, however, and her skittish aloofness was going to get her killed on the next leg of the walk: a narrow country road with no shoulders; 55mph.  I retraced to knock on doors, find the appropriate house, have the owner restrain her, and then it was over.  No joy in this trip; just frustration.  I don’t even remember the dog’s name, though I’m sure I must have heard it.   

Compare this one mile round trip to my previous twenty-five miler: not near the inconvenience, yet far more frustrating; shared space without the satisfaction of a shared relationship; far less time consumed, yet more time wasted.  The second dog wanted the journey, but didn’t truly want me.

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Lesson #1: Persist in following Jesus, even if it seems like God Himself is pushing you away at times.  Remember what happened to the Syro-Phonecian woman,* what happened to Ruth,** and what happened to Elisha.***  Sometimes "Faith" really translates into nothing more complex than stick-to-it-tiveness, and each one of us is able to offer that to God.  No advanced level of spirituality required.

Lesson #2: Persistence means nothing without Trust.  Don’t follow Jesus at a distance; get up close.  It's either risk trusting Him… or risk being sent home.  Your proximity and your purpose (when true) will win His heart and make all the inconvenience worthwhile... and yes, even dear to Him, as it was to me on that first journey with Duncan.

C’mon.  Let's go for a Walk.

*see Matthew 15:21-28

**see the book of Ruth

***see 2 Kings 2:1-15