When a stick is just a stick

Yoshi, our newest potcake loves sticks. He is the only one of our dogs that actually like sticks. He will seek them out, he will run around with them and he will put them in a "secret" hiding spot to stock pile for what seems like an apparently nearing Apocalypse.

I was admiring Yoshi for his simplicity in life. He was quite mellow this afternoon until he found his stick, then the playful puppy broke loose and Yoshi was galloping around the yard. If I translated his muttering correctly, he was saying "look what I can do, I got a stick and I can run and I can jump with my stick!" He actually looked braver and was far more bold than when we was  a stick-less dog. With his stick, Yoshi looked invincible, running closer to the fence where the very large and intimidating neighbor dogs were lazing in the sun. Normally he waits for Bruno and Snickers to flank him during the evening meet and greet but not today, Yoshi and his stick were flying solo and feeling cool.

While carrying his stick he also took a spin around the huge tree in our yard, again he does this but far more cautiously when he is stick-less, but give him a stick and he can do anything.. or so he thinks.

At the right comedic moment, when Yoshi was rounding the great tree, a bird flew up from the twigs near the bottom of the tree. Yoshi startled so greatly he dropped his stick and sprinted back to my side. Again if my translation skills were at their best I am fairly sure he dropped a few unmentionable words out of fear and humbly leaned in for a cuddle. As he looked up to me with his big eyes even bigger with adrenaline, "Sometimes" I said to Yoshi, "a stick is just a stick. It does not make you braver, or cooler or tougher. You are just a dog carrying a stick. Yoshi, you are brave and cool without that stick, now go and see to that bird problem of ours." He blinked twice indicating he appreciated the love but leaned even harder into me looking for safety.

 Yoshi was not going anywhere near that bird. Now I would have laughed if the bird had been building a nest and in its mouth was actually a stick, now that would have been funny, but I refuse to create scenarios just for entertainment and the bird was just a bird, popping up from looking for bugs.

We kind of do the same things too. We get stuff, accomplish things and achieve lofty goals and when we do we often feel braver, more cool and run around with more bravado than we normally do. This is a good thing, most of the time. Be proud of what happens in your life you most likely worked hard for it but sometimes you got to let your stick just be a stick. Yoshi looked as though his stick was a fierce weapon, a sword of courage when really it was just a stick and proved to be useless against those terrifying ground doves in our yard. Do not take refuge in your sticks, stuff or accomplishments, most often they will not be helpful against what you face. Look to the One who gives you strength and who allowed you to find your sticks. He is the one where you can find refuge from scary velociraptor sized ground doves.
Shine on my friends