Still Waters

 "Thirsty souls of men and women can only be fully satisfied when their capacity and thirst for spiritual life is fully quenched by drawing on Himself."

I've decided that this dog, much like other spontaneous things that come into my life, have a lot to teach me.

We school out of our dining room. For the first few weeks we had Mo we continued to try to school in the dining room with him. He ate a lab report. And countless other assignments. He is completely freaked out by the printer and barks and attacks it every single time you print a page. He learned to remove books from the shelf just above his reach. He ate through plastic baskets.

No matter how much I rearranged or "Mo proofed" the room, he found something else to get into.

A generous friend brought me some baby gates, and we gated Mo out of the dining room completely.

That first picture is my view anytime I sit down to work or school.

Mo stands up on the gate and watches me until I get settled.

One I am seated and working, the second picture is my view. He decides the world is okay and he lays down to sleep.

First he checks in with me, then he rests.

He doesn't need to keep looking at me. He doesn't get up and peer over the gate multiple times. He knows I am nearby.

I am his still waters.

From me he gathers his safety, comfort, sustenance and peace.

I will admit it's been a bit overwhelming to be someone's whole world. Again.

He stays in constant contact with me. If he can get to me, you will find him on my feet. He sits on my feet while I cook. He lays at my feet while I drink tea outside on these (thankfully) chilly mornings. I spend the rest of my day tripping over him. We are that close. All the time.

I was listening to a sermon recently that challenged me with the question

Where are your still waters?

It was a sermon on Psalm 23. The preacher was exerting that many of us have forgotten to look for the Shepherd to lead us to still waters AND we've forgotten to linger there.

When He leads us to the gate, we are supposed to release all we are holding and lay down in peace. He's there.

As the addition of the dog, the return of school, and some other family things, have recently shaken my planned snowglobe of what this month would look like, I'm trying to find my own still waters.

I'm reminding myself that I, much like my dog, are most at peace when I am at the foot of the Shepherd.

When I find myself frantically running around trying to create peace, I know I am not near my own still waters.

Mama Warriors, the interesting thing is that YOUR still waters are not MY still waters.

Much like there are 5 of us here, Mo is only at peace at the foot of one of us. He's happy at others feet, content at some, but only at peace at mine. He's tuned in to his own still waters and is led by that.

We, too, need to find where He leads us and sit there.

Be still.