Life with a New Puppy

River Song and I are out for our morning walk.  It is 6ish in the morning.  We have hit Library Park and are sitting on the bench to meditate or contemplate eating ducks and sticks.  A man is slowly approaching from the east.  As he draws near River is sitting for a moment as asked.  But then the man is upon us and he speaks is his deep bass voice.  She can't help herself she comes over, rubs against him, falls down for a belly rub and then piddles.  She shows him respect as only a little puppy can.  He could be my alpha.  He should take me home.  I would follow him.

Unfortunately she is stuck with me.  The person who gets up before dawn to let her out, the person who feeds her, walks her, supplies her with bones and toys.   She is not willing to acknowledge me at her Alpha, I'm someone to herd and chew on.  But he could be the one.

I wonder if we all are a little like RiverSong.  We are searching for something we can follow whole heartedly.   Someone or something that inspires us, that we are willing to turn our lives around to follow. In the United States between 64 - 69% of us believe in God or a higher power, yet only 16-22% of us attend church on a given Sunday.  So only of a quarter of us believe that church is the place where we find who we will give our life to.  2/3s of us are willing to hope for the possibility that God or a Universal Spirit exists.

So how do we share and show that Jesus is the one to give my life to and follow with my tale up and my ears relaxed, willing to do so because Jesus is a calm non-anxious presence who has transformed me, inspired me.  I want to trot along wherever he will lead me.  I think we often have trouble moving into this relationship.  But by following Jesus what I do and where I go is my chance to share the faith and learn more about God.  It is my chance to change how I respond to the world and the people I encounter there.  Will I immediately change course and seek out the lost, the lonely, the hurt, the hungry, party with the sinners, and argue with the religious?  Will I follow the Alpha of my existence?

Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen.And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Mark 1:14-18