Following Me

April 29, 2024

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6 NRSV

Izzy and Jackson are my new shadows, stealthily, light on their paws, following me everywhere I go. It’s lovely and has also resulted in Jackson getting left behind several times. Friday, I made several trips to the garage, carefully closing the door behind me when I returned to the house. Twice I went about my business, only to realize some minutes later that Izzy was in the house, and Jackson was nowhere to be found. After whistling and calling for him, to no avail, I’ve returned to the garage. There he is, sitting patiently near the door, tail wagging at the sound of the door opening and ready to bound up the steps to the house, following me once more.

After pondering the imagery being played out between Jackson and me, I’ve come to realize that the tableau is indicative of my life. I bounce around between an endless set of tasks and errands, rushing in and out, clueless to the fact that I’ve left Jackson behind a closed door. I do the same thing with God, grateful to be followed by goodness and mercy, but then in the rush of life closing the door behind me without so much as a thought of God. Until. Until I grow aware of an emptiness, that something is missing. Retracing my steps, I rediscover God, waiting patiently near the door, happy to see me, and bounding up the steps to rejoin the journey.

Surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives, patiently waiting our return. ~ Anne