I took our dog to the dog wash (a little do-it-yourself place in town) on one of the coldest days of the year. I was kicking myself that I had to get out on a single-digit, sub-zero-wind-chill kind of day to wash our dog, but I waited too long, and she was so stinky no one could stand to be in the room with her without complaining.
As I was washing her, I started to wonder why I wait too long to do certain tasks. Why do I wait until my pants make an impression around my waist before I am willing to lose a few pounds? Why do I wait until the dishes are overflowing in the sink before I wash them? Why do I wait until the back-up sensors on the van are so nasty that they won’t work anymore before I will go through the car wash? Why do I wait until my toilet has a ring before I clean it?
Obviously, I procrastinate doing the things I dread and dislike. I hate cooking and cleaning, and dieting, and washing my dog, so I put it off and then deal with the consequences.
In contrast, I jump-the-gun on other things. I don’t wait until I’m hungry to eat (although I’m trying to remedy this bad habit). I start to sweat if my gas tank gets below a quarter tank (not sure what’s up with that little quirk). I don’t have to need something to go shopping. I’m happy to have that second (or third or fourth) cup of coffee, even though I don’t need it.
I started to feel a little convicted as I thought about how God fits into all this. I am definitely guilty of “putting off” time with Him. Sometimes I wait until I am desperate before I call on Him and seek His love and wisdom in my life. If this is how I treat God, then what does that say about my priorities?
I don’t want to be like my stinky dog and wait until no one can stand to be around me before I call on God to clean up my life again. I never want to treat the God of the universe, my maker and Savior, with the same procrastination that I give my dishes or my toilet. These thoughts definitely made me stop and ask for God’s forgiveness and the wisdom to do better.
I’m so glad that God is patient with me. And I’m so grateful that He is willing to use anything, even my stinky dog, to get my attention and draw me closer to Him. Thank you, Lord. Want to have a third cup of coffee with me while I swish that ring out of the toilet?
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I love the way you relate everyday things in life to our spiritual lives. Powerful lesson! Thanks for sharing.
It would be nice if God spoke to me in the “lofty” ways that other people hear from Him. I’m not sure if I’m thick-headed or if He just wants to keep me humble, but He tends to teach me lessons in dregs of life. But it keeps me on my toes because I never know what to expect. Thanks for your ever-encouraging notes!
That dog of your will stink again soon, even after being given a bath. It is in her DNA and so all you can do is just deal with it the best you can. I am afraid that a lot of your procrastination is in your DNA as well and I will willingly take 50% of the blame for that flaw. My thinking is why take a bath if you do not stink, why wash a few dishes when you can do a bunch of them later, why clean the toilet bowl unless it has a stain and there is no need to lose weight if all the clothes still fit? My theory is never to do something immediately that can be put off until later because something could happen and you may never have to actually do it. Thank goodness God loves us in spite of the way we choose to live our lives. He gave us that privilege and freedom, but He will help us do better if we really want change. People used to say when I was small, “He is a real stinker” and I am just now beginning to realize how true that turned out to be. I will do my best with God’s help to try and get things done before I stink up the lives of others. Thanks for the insight.
Dad, you make me laugh. I guess if I have a “warped” faith that sees God in unconventional ways, you might have contributed slightly – ha! But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you.
Loved this post Tamson. You have a wonderful flair for writing about things that are so ordinary and seeing the meaningful in them. Thanks for this post, very uplifting to me. I am thankful that God loves me in spite of me! Looking forward to following your posts. Have a blessed day.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Linda. I really appreciate it, and I’m grateful that others can relate.
Loved your blog. Thought I was reading about myself. Thank goodness God loves us regardless of our bad habits and is always willing to help us improve . Love you girl!
Thanks, Lynn! Great minds think alike, I guess 🙂 Love you!