Ophie’s Gift

Our beloved dog, Ophie, is such a curious girl. She is always excited to explore, and will sniff the tip of a blade of grass like a connoisseur of fine wine. She enjoys every scent, not rushing, but stopping to savor.

Of course I never know when something is going to catch her attention. When it does, I have no choice but to stop and wait until she has satisfied her curiosity. Although sometimes I have found this adorable, to be honest there have been many other times I get frustrated at the "interruption." I don't want to stop. I want to keep going and finish our walk. But recently it occurred to me that when she stops, fiercely standing her ground to investigate to her heart's content, it's actually a gift to me. In these moments of pause, all sorts of lovely things await me. Watching the wind make the tall grass dance, a happy bluebird family perched along the power line, a beetle traveling his own path on the ground in front of me. So many things happening around me, which I wouldn't have been able to appreciate if I'd been moving along...and might have even missed completely.

Walking, going, doing...these are all good things. But I have found that a certain type of seeing—gazing, seeing deeply, opening the heart—requires stillness. When I simply stop, open my heart, and gaze at what is around me, beauty—the language of God—speaks.

And so my friend, whether you are captivated by something that tickles your senses, or you have your own Ophie, "forcing" you to pause, may you find yourself delighting in the opportunity to encounter whatever God has waiting for you in the stillness.