Bath Day

Our dog Faith lives outside. She sleeps in the grass, or on the deck, or under the deck and in her straw lined dog house when the bitter winter blows in temperatures of 40 below. If we sense she is in danger, too many howling coyotes or other threats, we call her in to sleep in a small basement room, but normally she is quite content to remain outside as the defender of her realm.

Part of our usual evening ritual includes inviting Faith in for a short visit that might include a treat or time to play with her nylon bone, a blessed time to exchange human and canine love.

However.... living the life of a country dog includes hunting and rolling around in all sorts of unmentionables. This has resulted in a dog that became increasingly more offensive to our human sense of smell. It was time for a bath, way past time.

Today dawned clear and hot, and we knew there was no avoiding the task any longer. Hose, tub and pails full of hot water at the ready, we put her collar and leash on in case she would try to run, and Rick picked her up and set her in the tub of water. Soaking and sudsing commenced, with alternating choruses of "No! Stay here" and "There you go, good girl."

She looked at us with eyes that said "I don't really know why you're doing this to me."

Does that sound familiar? Do we say the same thing to God when He is attempting to cleanse, renew and transform us?

After rinsing her heavy fur as much as possible, we released her, and though she hadn't been particularly happy about the process, she seemed well pleased enough with the results. Amid the running about and shaking, and shaking and running about, she gave us licks and smiles, thrilled as she was to be free again.

I pray that I remember this morning the next time my Lord is trying to work something out in my life. I might not enjoy the process, but I know both He and I will be well pleased with the results.

It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:4-6 The Message

I thought about taking pictures much too late. Above is an after shot, when Faith's fur was already mostly dry.