January 27, 2025
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” ~ Hebrews 12:1 NLT
Before
I broke down and took Izzy and Jackson to the groomer on Saturday. When Izzy and Jackson joined our family last April, I learned just how afraid of being groomed they were. They came to me with very long, matted coats. Their first trip to a groomer in town was a disaster. Izzy was so frightened that she refused to get out of the crate. Jackson was somewhat more cooperative, but I suspect he (and I) paid a price for his early cooperation. After receiving a shaming from the groomer about the pups, I decided I’d figure out how to groom them myself, without any training and the naivety of ignorance. The grooming became more difficult, mostly because I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing.
I approached the groomer with fear and trembling, knowing that the grooming would be an ordeal, that their coats were a mess. I told the groomer about their fear and anxiety which was already obvious from their shaking all over. I am certain she picked up my own anxiety! She was calm, quiet, spoke gently to the pups and me, and was able to do what I’d not been able to do. Here is the result:
I think of the groomer as one of the cloud of witnesses of the life of faith, providing the support I needed at just the right time. She managed to cut them free of the weight of the heavy coat that clung to them. And she freed me from the weight of shame and the false belief that I needed to be self-sufficient. I could feel that weight being shed, just like the pups’ coats. Getting help is a good idea, and using available resources feels like a kind of new birth. Halleluia! ~ Anne
Wayfinding 