May 20
We live in a subdivision, in a very rural setting. Because we are surrounded almost entirely by woods, we often have the opportunity to view wildlife up close and personal. Deer, hawks (an occasional eagle) and wild turkeys (on the positive side). Many funky looking spiders and bugs; and lots of snakes (on the negative). We even have a six-foot black snake that resides under our porch. Lovely!
I mention all this, to set the stage for an event… just a couple of months ago.
My wife and I were returning home from one of our “date nights.” It was late in the evening, and had been dark for quite some time. As we rounded the last bend in the road, we had to come to an abrupt stop. 
Several of our local deer were running across the road, and into the woods, just ahead of us.
Now, it seems like whenever you see deer, you just have to stop and admire them. Quick and agile, sleek and elegant. And (dare I say it) kinda cute. Anyway, my wife and I paused to take notice of the deer and admire them (wondering all along why they were running at full stride).
The reason was just about to cross our head-lighted path…
Our eleven-year-old Golden Retriever (Daisy) was in hot pursuit. And the look on her face was… gleeful. It was like, just for that moment, she stepped out of her old, tired, and overweight body – and was a young, sleek, indomitable hunter once again. In that brief, snapshot moment, you could just see the determination, and the exhilaration, in her face.
But just as soon as she had burst onto the scene, she was gone – off into the woods to pursue her quarry. In that moment… full of life, once again.
As I think about it, this is a lesson for us all.
Life tends to gradually beat us down. The years go by, and we get tired and run-down and we lose our zeal for life and living. We content ourselves with handling all our considerable responsibilities, and with trying to do what we need to do.
For so many of us, somewhere along the way we lost sight of so much of what makes life worth the living. We traded our passion… for relative security.
When we were young – we had our dreams, and the things we wanted to do with our lives – and we pursued those things with vigor and vitality.
We had our share of disappointments, but whenever life knocked us down, we got back to our feet and kept on running. We kept right on pursuing our passions and dreams.
But then… we just got tired. The pain was no longer worth the gain. We got lazy. And we just kind of settled in for the ride… wherever life would take us.
We become more like old dogs laying on the porch, than young dogs chasing things you probably were never going to catch. But, oh, the exhilaration of the pursuit!
We need to be reminded of something God is trying to get us all to understand. He is still in the business of making us feel young and vibrant again. Even if we may feel worn-out, He still has things for us to pursue – and to bring joy back into life again.
He wants to bring LIFE back into our lives again… this very day!
No matter what “holding pattern” we may have entered, He is waiting today to restore the zeal to our souls.
And if we are feeling old and tired and run-down… This is His promise:
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, He increases strength… those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Daisy… you go, girl.
Prayer focus: God, I give my weariness to You… restore my passion for life and living!
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