Walking My Slow Dog

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7, NRSV

In the mornings, I like to take my two dogs for a walk to get our day started. One is an older chocolate lab named Cassie, and the other is a young corgi named Tank. They are very eager to get our walk going. It often feels like a crazy tangle of dog leashes, toe nails clicking on the floor, licks of excitement, and stinky dog breath panting as I leash them up and get my shoes on.

Once we get out the door and start our walk, both dogs practically pull my shoulders out of their sockets! They are so excited to get out and stretch their legs. However, once we get going along, they slow down to a more manageable pace. Soon though, after only 10 minutes or so, my old dog, Cassie starts to slow down. She pulls and pulls at her leash at the beginning of the walk and then runs out of energy due to her old age. And nearing the end of the walk, she ends up walking about two to three feet behind me, while Tank is still going along two to three feet ahead of me. I imagine it is a sight for my neighbors! One little dog three feet in front of me, one big dog walking three feet behind me and me in the middle holding the leashes trying to balance out the pace.

While on one of these walks recently, I started thinking about walking with Jesus. In reflecting on my own walk with Jesus, it came to mind that Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:11, NRSV). Jesus knows at what pace we need to go. Whether we are walking along slow like my old dog Cassie, or full of energy like my puppy dog, Tank, Jesus can join us at whatever pace we need Him to. He knows what we need at any given point in time. And He rejoices when He finds us when we have been lost (Luke 15:5).

Jesus said to a group He was speaking to during His ministry on Earth: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it. When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices” (Luke 15:4-5). This is a famous image. Imagine Jesus finding you in the rough, and He lifts you up and carries you home.

Jesus wants a relationship with us. And He will walk at the pace we need. Just like I slow down to walk with my old lab, Cassie, Jesus is more than happy to slow down and walk at your pace when you find yourself stumbling. But ask yourself this question: are you letting Him slow down for you?

What does your walk with Jesus look like right now? Are you powering ahead of Him, trying to get to your destination without waiting for His guidance? Or are you walking with Him and listening carefully for His gentle voice? Are you feeling confident in the direction He is taking you in? Or are you feeling sluggish and slow and unsure of where He is guiding you? Jesus never leaves us behind. It may just feel that way sometimes. In some cases, it feels like He is far ahead and we can’t tell where He is taking us. But in these times, we must continue to keep our eyes on Him.

I imagine for many of us, we have felt all of the above. Our walks with Jesus change as our life circumstances change. Sometimes the path is smooth and straight. While other times, the path is winding and full of rocks and thorns. There will be times where we feel great and like we know which way to go. While other times, we will be unsure of the direction the Lord is guiding us in. And even further along, we might forget to wait up for Him, and we walk way ahead, but in the wrong direction.

Regardless of the circumstances of our lives or where we are at in our walks with Jesus, it is essential that we do not give up on His promises. Jesus is with us and for us. He wants what is best for us.

St. Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (5:7). In the times where things seem blurry and out of view, we must continue to walk by faith as we walk with and pursue our Savior, Jesus.

In Christ,

Lauren

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All scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible

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