Oreo teaches me about my walk with God

This morning, at 8 am, I went outside with our dog Oreo, and decided to get a walk in. The sky was already showing the promise of a nice new day. Oreo was so excited that I was out, and taking him for a walk, or vice versa! 

I went to the “back 40” to the road that Alvin had groomed again yesterday, taking away the drifts of snow that had come across it over the past few days. It is easier walking this way, and I love that my husband does this for me.

I decided to walk the path twice – and while I walked, I listened, I thought and I prayed. I loved the silence, at the same time I loved watching creation around me. Front and foremost was Oreo. It is much easier to take him on this walk, as there are no speeding cars chasing by, that we have to watch out for him. Oreo is quite deaf, and quite blind.
Anyhow, as soon as he gets the impression that we are walking a certain way, he is off…. chasing ahead of me. Once in a while, he checks around, to see if he can see us moving forward, or if we have turned around. I guess he sees the shadow of us and can tell the direction.

Anyhow, this morning, I was talking to God… telling him what was on my heart (as if he doesn’t know without me telling him… ) I think he just loves me coming to him, and so I come. I came to the end of the path, and turned around to double back. All of a sudden, Oreo, realizing I had turned, goes whipping past me – full speed ahead! All of a sudden, I had just received an object lesson. I realized that sometimes I am like that. I think I know the direction God is going… and all of a sudden, I run ahead, sometimes turning around to check and see that God is still coming along, and sometimes getting so far ahead of God, thinking I know exactly what he is going to do, where he is going to go, how he is going to come along… only to realize I am so far ahead on my own journey!!
With that, God laid a couple lines from an old hymn I remember singing …
“where He leads me, I will follow
where He leads me, I will follow
where He leads me, I will follow
I will follow, follow, close to Him.”
(I think that is the last line…)

And it made me think, my life with Jesus is about following HIM… not Him following me. It is about following close to Him….
This means that I may not always see where He is leading…
I may be like Oreo, “blinded” to where God is actually leading…
But trusting Him for the journey, and knowing that God is never going to take me someplace that He does not want me to go! Hmmm…..
Lord, Help me to follow you, regardless of whether I see the whole way or not.
Help me to follow so closely, that I have my hand in yours..
And that I can hear and feel your heart beat.
Jesus, where you lead me – I WILL follow…. Lord, give me strength and courage for the journey. And, great trust.
I love you Jesus.