Good morning…
Did I tell you that in January God brought a dog walker-whisperer into our Tuesday afternoon Bible study? Let me paint you the picture.
We got our 8-week old puppy last June from Adopt-a-Golden Rescue and, when I began hosting daily classes in my home in September, Tate’s puppy-ness was full-blown. She was an all-out-crazy bundle of boundless energy. Bad behavior littered my living room. Jumping on guests. Chewing corners of couches and wall moldings. Continually tracking in mess on each of her four paws. Honestly, I am surprised registered class members returned week two.
As a fall class we tried to reshape Tate’s antics. Focusing on the joyful love exuding from every follicle of fur, we tried together, often unsuccessfully, to teach her, “Off.” “Down.” “Settle.” Then in January, God brought a dog walker-whisperer to our Tuesday afternoon Bible study. Sometimes heaven descends to earth in very tangible ways. This angel from above is named Julie.
Julie saw Tate’s crazy, bad behavior. Jumping up. Chewing. Wreaking messy havoc. “Can you come early next week to help me figure out how to switch her negative habits to positive ones?” I humbly asked.
Never having met, without missing a beat, angel Julie said, “Yes.”
Julie gave me some good tips right away and she taught me about “STOP THAT,” a behavior correction spray. The “STOP THAT” instructions on the bright orange can read: “Stop unwanted behavior in your pet by spraying in the direction of your pet, approximately 12-18 inches away in short burst.” The “STOP THAT” spray shoots a concentrated “hiss” into the air that gets a dog’s attention, signaling the need for a behavior change. No liquid is released. Nothing is sprayed on the pet. The concentrated burst of air startles the dog into stopping bad behavior to establish good habits.
Why do I tell you this story about our wild pup and our angel Julie?
At our lunch last week, 91 year old Betty Skinner gave me a 54th birthday blessing: “Hang on! Enjoy every moment in a positive way. Don’t get into the negative, it’ll knock you flat.” This week I have been thinking, “To live this advice, I need to envision God’s Holy Spirit in my heart as my personal can of ‘STOP THAT’ spray.”
I must admit, I can tend toward the negative. When I make a mistake, I beating myself up. When I sense disapproval, I begin to spiral down. As I spiral down and down, the quarrel between my inner critics gets louder. Before long, as Betty so vividly describes, I am “knocked flat.” Depressed. Angry at myself. Self-medicating with food or drink, TV or laziness, isolation or procrastination.
When my self-defeating descent rears her ugly head, might the Holy Spirit spray a concentrated burst of “STOP THAT” at my bad behavior? “STOP THAT” focusing on the negative. “STOP THAT” beating yourself up. “STOP THAT” spiraling down. When I feel “knocked flat,” depressed, angry, self-medicating, the Holy Spirit can get my attention, releasing a swift, hissing “STOP THAT.”
After the Spirit’s startling burst of “STOP THAT,” then God can teach me the new habit of enjoying every moment in a positive way.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; Therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode (Proverbs 17:14, AMP).
…Sue…
