Motherhood and Muffin Tops : Here’s the Dirt

I went on a shopping trip with a friend on Monday. In between our eating, we bounced around several places but eventually landed at Home Goods because what woman doesn’t love that? We both had gift cards which made it even better. She had a list of things she was looking for and I had my own. We hit all the departments. The rugs, throw pillows, bedding, kitchen, and, yes, we couldn’t leave until we visited the dog section. I thought I’d take something home to Ruby to lift her spirits. She still seems pretty depressed from losing her buddy. I guess Otis was the life of the party for all of us.

I breezed through the well-stocked aisle and skipped right over the stuffed fire hydrants, squeaky squirrels, and rubber balls, because Ruby just isn’t into toys anymore. In fact, I gave Otis’s little basket of loved toys to a friend with adopted pets, because Ruby wasn’t interested. No, at age 42, she has put away childish things and only has eyes for a bone or antler or anything suitable for eating or chewing. Well, I found a big antler that I thought would help her feelings as she adjusts to being an only dog again and I couldn’t wait to give it to my girl.

The next day, I dug the antler out of my shopping bags and called for Ruby. She saw what I had and her tail went crazy. While she whined impatiently, I worked to get all of the tags off and held it out to her. Her eager jaws clamped down with a lot of enthusiasm and she went straight to the door wanting to go outside. It was a beautiful day and Ruby is a sucker for soaking in the sun. Like her human mother in her younger days, she can sunbathe for hours on end. I was happy that she’d get to enjoy lots of gnawing and chewing while basking in the spring weather. Two of her very favorite things would surely be good for her spirits.

Davis was out working in the yard and he came in to tell me Ruby had buried the antler in the flower bed by the mailbox where he was working, but then she moved it- likely for fear that Davis knew too much and would try to chow down on it when she wasn’t looking. He watched her dig it up and carry it up the hill by the house. Dirt flew as she worked on another hole and carefully maneuvered the freshly-laid pine straw to hide the treasure’s location. When the burial was complete, then she plopped down on the front steps to enjoy the sun. Ruby knew one thing for sure- none of her neighborhood friends, Ted, Izzy, Zeus, or Bentley, would find her valuable and take any pleasure in it. But, neither would she, apparently.

That was two days ago and, as I type, the $9.99 antler is still buried under dirt and pine straw in our flower bed. She’s been out multiple times to enjoy the spring weather and hasn’t gone back to retrieve that thing she loves yet. Not what I had planned for my ten buck investment. I might as well have buried an Alexander Hamilton next to our Loropetalum bushes and saved us all the time and effort. It’s not doing her any good planted in the flower bed and it’s not doing me any good to see my money sown into the soil.

Earlier that same day, I’d seen someone from a distance who’d been having a hard time and I’d been meaning to make contact with them. It wasn’t someone I see very often. This was a unique opportunity. I felt a nudge to go over and speak, but I had a lot to do that afternoon and the setting was one that may have made a conversation a little awkward. It was going to be a lot easier to just go on about my day and reach out to them some other way. So, I talked myself out of it and avoided the person and any contact with them all together, but I thought about it several times that day.

Watching my crazy dog burying my $10 investment, that same afternoon, had me thinking about all the ways I’m like her. How many times have I buried something I’ve been given under the soil of selfishness or entitlement…..or timidity, feelings of insufficiency, self-consciousness, comparison, fear of failure? Each day, we’re given so much. A platform to speak the truth. A nudge to help. A testimony to share. A way to use a talent. An opportunity to speak encouragement. A chance to share our time, our story. A place to use our spiritual gifts, our resources. When we seize the opportunities given specifically to us, it not only blesses others, but it gives us so much joy in knowing we were created uniquely and intentionally- customized to fulfill our specific purpose and place in God’s plan. He’s invested so much in us and He expects us to use those things for His purposes and at His urging. Some days, I do ok with that and, other days, I bury the whole thing in the dirt and walk away. Wasting the unique opportunity. Wasting the investment. Jesus told a parable about that, so it must be pretty important to get it right. One day, I’ll have to answer for the times inaction won out.

Tomorrow’s a new day with new opportunities.

Reminder to self- stay out of the dirt.

Y’all have a great weekend!

JONI