Recently I was dog-sitting and the dog loved to roll around on her back on top of a tennis ball. I’d seen this happen in a physical therapy office but not with a dog. I’m doing good to get my dog to break into a quick step, much less run. The thoughts of my dog breaking into some deep tissue muscle therapy just never crossed my mind.
I love the dog I was dog-sitting . . . and I find that I’d do about anything to maintain her happiness.
But – I drew the line at rolling around on the ball.
But she didn’t have the same line.
She’d push the ball up to my foot. I’d try to engage her in a game of catch. She was having none of that. she’d get the ball, put it back in her bed, roll around on it, and then push it back to my foot.
This happened a few times and I knew, if I wanted to make the dog happy, I’d soon be rolling around on the ball.
Yes, that’s what I did. I swallowed all of my pride and ego and rolled around on the tennis ball to make the dog happy.
I emulated her actions. It only took once and then she was happy.
According to Richard Rohr one of the emerging spirituality principles is that Jesus is not an object to be adored but instead a lifestyle we should emulate.
While emulating the dog brought me some laughter and maybe a few less stressed out shoulder muscles, it didn’t bring about a life change.
Emulating Jesus’ lifestyle, however, does.
Which one(s) would you be willing to emulate today?
- to be compassionate
- to serve selflessly to others
- to love unabashedly
- to forgive readily
- to be committed to living a life of love
- to be in continual prayer (remember, prayer is merely “conversing” with God
- to act with gentleness
- to offer great patience
- to exercise self-control
- to be humble in all things
If we emulate one or more of these actions, we will find our lives change, as will the world around us.
Grace and Peace,
Andrea