“No Worries" or Lessons I’ve Learned from Working with Ari

I recently had the opportunity to share an inspirational talk called “No Worries or Lessons I’ve Learned from Working with Ari.” A modified version follows:

In May, we adopted a handsome, endearing Sheltie named Ari. He has been a wonderful blessing and addition to our family.

Like all of us, Ari has special gifts. One of Ari’s talents is “singing” on command; we’ve had lots of fun with his musical howling. But also like all of us, Ari has a few things in life that he finds a bit challenging such as the vacuum cleaner and the mixer. Just getting them out brings forth a bark or two, but turning them on, drives him absolutely crazy.

Ari also used to get excited and start barking when he saw squirrels, rabbits, and even other people on our walks. Now as we approach something I think might excite him, I happily reassure him, “No, worries, here comes a friend” or “That’s just a squirrel Ari, no worries.” We’re still working on not barking at other dogs, but as long as the coast is clear of canine friends, I can usually enjoy our walks as good thinking and praying time.

One day on our walk, Ari was calm and having a great time, but I on the other hand was quite concerned about several things in my life. Then the thought came, “No worries, it’s just the mixer.” I laughed and began to let go of my anxiety. Now to Ari, the mixer or vacuum might seem like the devil or big bad wolf, but to you and me, the vacuum means a clean house and the mixer a yummy treat in the making. From our perspective, we know that what is driving Ari crazy is not only nothing to be concerned about but actually something very good going on. And isn’t that often the case with our lives? We get all worried about something, forgetting that God’s got things under control…that only good is really going on. And if we would only take a moment to listen, I bet we would hear God telling us, “Don’t worry, be happy. Don’t worry, be happy” (imagine Bobby McFerrin singing).

The Bible is full of commands to “Fear not.” One of my favorite Bible stories about not being fearful or taken in by evil trying to our attention is the story of David and Goliath. (For a chuckle, check out this Veggie Tales clip of David and the Giant Pickle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qmj2fXPvXc, and then next time something bothers you, you can say, “No worries, it’s just a giant pickle.” I find humor often helps me face fear.)

Here’s a bit of the back story on David and Goliath: David, was a shepherd. His whole town was upset by the soldier-giant Goliath. No one dared accept Goliath’s challenge to fight…no one except David. To him, Goliath was no more of a threat than the wild beasts from which he had repeatedly protected his sheep. When David volunteered to fight Goliath, King Saul offered David the use of his finest armor and weapons, but David decided to pass on the king’s offer. He told Saul, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” (I Sam. 17:37) So, David took his trusty slingshot, which he had proven to be so effective over and over again in defending his herd, and put five smooth stones in his shepherd’s bag. He only needed to use one stone. One strike and Goliath was out.

Recently I decided to take stock of my own smooth stones. I began to explore what has helped me work through challenges in the past. Here are five smooth stones, or spiritual tools, that have proven effective for me:

First, “The Word of God,” including bible verses and songs or sometimes an idea a friend shares. I try to keep a spiritual quote handy on both my electronic and actual desktops for my eye to light upon during the day. A favorite Bible verse I often pray with is this one, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 19:22) I find comfort in reminding myself that God is constantly giving me and others the exact thoughts we need to respond to the moment in a calm healing manner. Singing God’s word really helps me too, and I often find additional strength by actually singing the words to songs or hymns out loud. I’ve also been caught whistling worship songs in the halls where I work.

My 2nd stone is “Praying with Others.” When the going gets tough, I often ask for help. In James (5:14) it says, “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him…and the prayer of faith will save the sick.” I’m especially grateful for the prayers of Christian Science practitioners, whose vocations are the practice of spiritual healing. They are available 24/7 to pray for people when needed. Sometimes I ask for the prayers of family members or friends. My church has an active Prayer Ministry team eager to pray with people through any situation. I am also grateful to everyone who has let me pray for them through this prayer ministry. Invariably my prayers for others bless me too and have helped pull me through some difficult times of my own.

The 3rd stone, “Gratitude,” is a way to glorify God. It is hard to grateful and sad or worried at the same time. I remember one time when our children were little, I heard them downstairs them yelling at each other. While normally I would have run to intervene, this time I found myself sitting down on the floor right where I was and expressing gratitude for the exact opposite of what my ears were hearing, “Thank you God for having done everything so well, for making Heidi and Lincoln peaceful and calm. Thank you for making them gentle and forgiving,” etc. until suddenly I realized it was quiet. They’d worked things out and were again playing happily. My prayer of gratitude was the only action needed. Gotthold Lessing says, “A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most complete prayer.” I find it helpful sometimes to look back and remember experiences like this one when I’ve felt God’s healing presence. Gratitude for past proofs of God’s care helps give me encouragement and expectancy of good in present situations.

My 4th stone is “Being Still.” In Psalms (46:10) we are told, “Be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes I have to consciously make myself slow down to hear what God is telling me. This can take the form of a walk, a long hot bath, or the posture of a yoga prayer pose. For me there is nothing like literally getting down on my knees to silence the mind’s chatter. Sometimes simply folding my hands and bowing my head helps. Writing or journaling also is effective in helping me still thought and hear God.

However, there are other times, especially when fear tries to paralyze me or pain is great, that I need to be up and doing. My 5th stone is “Doing Good.” I remember times in my life when simply loading the dishwasher seemed like a big effort, but getting out of bed when I wasn’t feeling well and doing so was a gift to my family and an important step towards healing. There is always something we can do to express love towards others, whether it be a simple note or phone call, a great big hug, or a thought of blessing sent someone’s way. Love heals. Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Christian Science church wrote, “The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,--a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love.”

So the first spiritual lesson I’ve learned working with Ari is “No Worries. It’s only the mixer,”…from God’s perspective, only good is going on. Whenever something seems like a Goliath to Ari, there is a smooth stone that takes care of the situation almost every time, it’s spelled “T-R-E-A-T.” (We have to spell words sometimes if we don’t want to excite him.) We too need to use our smooth stones and keep our focus on God the way Ari focuses on a treat.

The second lesson I’ve learned from Ari is to have compassion on myself when things don’t turn around as quickly as I’d like. On another walk with Ari, I was feeling guilty about a challenge I’d been working on for a long time. Why couldn’t I get things right? What must the person I’d asked to pray with me think about my needing help day after day? Then I thought, “I don’t love Ari any less because he still hasn’t figured out that the mixer and vacuum are harmless. I don’t think he is a bad dog or blame him for these fears. I just smile and calmly reassure him. I know he’ll eventually get it.” So, don’t let discouragement in. Sometimes it takes more than one smooth stone. David had lots of slingshot practice with lions and bears before defeating Goliath. Whatever trials come your way, no matter how long it takes to work through them, or how messy it gets. God is going to stand by and love you no matter what.

One of the times I still really need to stand by Ari is when he sees another dog approaching. Given the opportunity, he will bark loudly and rush towards the dog. So I shorten his leash and begin talking to him. “No worries, here comes a friend.” I’ve gotten him to a point where he’ll sit and just quietly growl , at least for a while, but as the dog being walked comes closer and closer it often becomes more than he can handle. So sometimes I’ll simply pick him up. There is something about being carried that calms him down. As long as I’m carrying Ari, he is quiet. It reminds me of a story which is probably familiar to many of you called, “Footprints in the Sand”:

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to me, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way; but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me.” The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

So Lesson #3 from Ari is, “No Worries…when things are hardest, God carries us.” It’s as simple as that. God is a patient Father-Mother, who comforts us until we too see that “All is well.”

I never imagined when we adopted Ari that his impact on my life would be so profound. Thanks Ari, you’ve been an angel in more ways than one and have helped me get a clearer glimpse of the kingdom of heaven truly within and at hand.