Such a long time

I started this blog when I was working in a position where I didn’t preach a sermon every Sunday morning. I’ve since left that church, moved with my family across the country, and in solo ministry. So all the musing I did before – I get to do on Sunday mornings. I’m also not currently “training” for a 5K – the “jog for vogs” stage of life.

But I still have thoughts that don’t make it into the sermons. Musings, wonderings, thinking out loud.

Walks with Benji the dog are when most of them happen. We live in a rural area, with a lot of trails around our neighbourhood. There are lots of other dog walkers – some of whom we greet and chat/sniff (depending on species). Others I try to avoid because Benji is what they call a “reactive” dog. He reacts. If he can say hello, approach the dog – no problems (he’s fairly submissive). But if he can’t get close, if I try to pull him away or the other human doesn’t want their dog near mine for a myriad of reasons, he barks and lunges like a wild thing.

Try getting people to believe “he’s actually really friendly” while my 60lb dog is barking and lunging. Fun times.

I digress.

Along the trails there are often little surprises – painted rocks or shells, fairy doors, fun things.

This week – it was St. Francis. I would have walked right by this little statue, sitting on the ground, in the crook between two trees. But Benji saw him, was really interested and sniffing around, and it pulled my attention to it. St. Francis, giving my “reactive”, pain-in-the-ass dog a little blessing. It made my day to see this little statue that someone tucked in here.

When I started this blog, I tag lined it “divinity and diapers” and even though my kiddos are long past the diaper and heading into the puberty stage, I think I’ll keep it. It’s a time to think about how to do this crazy, weird job of being a minister, a pastor, a priest – while being a mom, and walking our crazy dog. It gives me somewhere to put the narrative that runs through my extroverted brain.

How’s life with you?