Walking with God
A letter from Revd Ruth Duck
There are many pros and cons associated with computers and online facilities! The joys of being able to see people ‘live’, have conversations as a group, learn something new every day about the world in which we live and share in worship together are undeniable. The less enjoyable aspects for me include the exhaustion that can hit after yet another ‘Zoom’ meeting, the frustrations when nothing works as I expect or hope, and the rubbish that sometimes appears! However, I want to try and describe one of the many funny, delightful, and heart-warming video clips that are sometimes shared on social media.
This one started with a small child and a dog having a walk together. Who was taking who for the walk is open to debate, but the clip is called ‘Best Friends, a kid, a dog and a puddle’! The little boy was holding the dog lead, and he saw a puddle, and trying to pull the dog towards it he managed to walk through the water. Looking back he decided that he would like to splash again and tried to drag the dog back, (who was as big as he was) and when the animal refused, he carefully laid down the lead and went back for several runs at the puddle. The dog? The dog just waited patiently – seemingly totally aware of what the child was doing. When the little boy had had enough of the paddling, he came back to the dog, picked up the lead again, and continued the walk.
The bond between the two was evident, and I loved the way the dog just kept patiently waiting, refusing to depart from his own course, but waiting until the little boy was ready to join him. Many of us will have been enjoying walks in recent times. Looking at the beauty, smelling the flowers, hearing the birds, and appreciating all that surrounds us can lift our spirits. Sometimes we walk alone, and at others we are able to walk with another (perhaps abiding by the social distancing rules) – or for you it may be the time to take the dog for a walk.
When I watched the video I thought about our ‘walk with God’, and realize that we are sometimes like the little boy trying to make God walk our way. At other times we let go of that which connects us with God: our prayers are forgotten, our Bible reading neglected. When we do, God doesn’t forget us, he waits patiently until we are ready to walk along with him again. In these times of not being able to meet with others physically, we can find other ways of being connected: by post, by telephone, or through the internet; we can also always be connected to God through the Holy Spirit whose coming we celebrate at Pentecost on 31st May.
Blessings
Ruth