Editor's Note: The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel is away this month on his vacation. While he is away our Associate Rector, the Rev. Anne Thatcher, will be writing for the Rector's Note.
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| Introducing a new member of St. Martin's family: Laszlo, a beautiful, red-coated, calm-tempered and curious Irish Doodle, companion to the Rev. Anne Thatcher. |
My mornings now start with rising and immediately taking Laszlo, my new puppy, outside. Quick, quick, quick, before he empties his bladder on the stairs! Then our walk begins, though it is really more of a walk, wait, sit, tug, walk, wait, sit, and tug. I am rediscovering the world through the nose, eyes, and ears of Laszlo. Everything is new. I can tell when he is processing because he freezes and looks intently at an object or person or cocks his head as he listens to a sound. I can almost see the cogs in his tiny brain whirring around as he registers buses, runners, grass, sidewalks, plants, strollers, and on and on.
Upon my return from vacation, relaxed and recharged, I followed through on my plan to pick up my new puppy. I have not trained a puppy in over a decade. When I brought Leo home at fourteen weeks, he was already long-legged and had matured beyond the early chewing stages. Laszlo was both gloriously and terrifyingly tiny at nine weeks and twelve pounds when he came home. I alternate daily between amazement at how such a small puppy can be so well formed and terror at how to train such a vulnerable tiny being. I imagine that those of you who have raised children or pets have experienced that tension we carry within ourselves when we are responsible for the absolute care of another of God’s creation.
Our first walk on leash was short-lived as Laszlo - intrigued by every smell, sound, and sight - kept stopping and sitting down. Overwhelmed by the onrush of senses, he simply refused to move while he processed the experience. I was frustrated and after waiting a bit would try to urge him forward only to be met with renewed resistance as he dug in his heels. However, I have to acknowledge, Germantown Avenue is a busy, noisy place for a small puppy to experience for the first time. I went home and watched a video on puppy leash training and then we went out and tried it again.
This time whenever he froze I gave him a minute to process and then I gave him a gentle quick upward tug on his harness to bring him out of his frozen position. Sure enough, each time I did this, he would begin walking again. Once we got moving, it took us an hour to go around the block as I waited each time for him to process before I prompted him with the leash. Patience!
Being a young puppy, he is constantly trying out his teeth on anything around him including my window cranks, chairs, coffee tables, kitchen cabinets, socks, and towels. At times I find myself redirecting him to his bone every few minutes. Tom Lehrer wrote a song called “The Vatican Rag” and the last line of the chorus is, “genuflect, genuflect, genuflect.” This morning I couldn’t help but sing to myself, “redirect, redirect, redirect.”
What infinite patience God has with us! As I wait for Laszlo, so God waits for us when we wander around the world (or rush around the world), one instant hesitant to step forward, doubting and unsure (over-anxious), and in another instant moving so quickly that we miss the moment because we are over-excited. Our Christian journey is ongoing and as human beings we always have so much more to learn about how God is calling us, where we can find Christ in our lives and how we can find Christ in the lives of others. I am sure God sings softly to Godself, “redirect, redirect, redirect” on a regular basis for me when I go astray!
Puppy training is about encouraging the dog to discover, develop, and explore by its own initiative. For, if we force a puppy, it will dig its heels in and refuse. Sound familiar? We too are inclined to dig our heels in if we are forced into an action or situation not of our own choosing. But if we are open to discovering, if we are open to new possibilities, then we may choose to enter in of our own free will, or perhaps we will accept encouragement and support to step out of our comfort zone. Our faith in knowing that God is always present can be the foundation that provides us the courage to keep trying new experiences; allowing our curiosity to continue to spark our imagination and fuel hope of God’s movement in our world.
I know that God gives us a nudge when we are stuck, just as I do with Laszlo on Germantown Avenue when the bus and Mack trucks roar by. I have felt that nudge myself. Sometimes it is a phone call from a dear friend who names my resistance that I cannot see. Other times it is a song on the radio or an interaction with a neighbor who speaks a truth that I could not hear before.
As you see Laszlo and I out and about, stop by and say, “hello”. He is learning how to meet people and engage with the world and I too am learning alongside. I am sure that God is looking on with bemusement saying to himself, “my beloved, these lessons are for you as well.”
Blessings,
The Rev. Anne Thatcher
Associate Rector
