The Valley of Distraction
Typically, walking with Tess is a piece of cake. She doesn’t pull on the leash. She minds well when I tell her to leave something alone. In general, she’s very chill. This morning’s walk, however, offered several more challenges to tempt and distract my well-mannered terrier.
The first distraction came from the stinky leakage left behind by the trash trucks. I don’t know what the appeal is, but I haven’t had a single dog that could pass by without wanting to roll around in that nasty goop. Gross!
Not long after we passed that, I noticed one of the farmers had recently moved his sheep from one pasture to another. This means the road between the two pastures was littered with sheep droppings. Once again, few things are as tempting to a dog as fresh poo. Double gross!
After numerous scoldings for trying to pick up poo off the road, we finally cleared that section and walked at an average pace and in a traditional fashion for a bit. . .until Tess spotted the turkey in the road. That turkey, in turn, flew into the nearby field where there were many turkeys and ducks. Oh, how my poor pup wanted to “play” with those birds! Overall, she minded well, but it took a lot of persuasion to get her to come along.
Once we had regained our composure and Tess had stopped turning around after every two steps to look for the birds, I sighed. It had been quite a walk, but it wasn’t over yet. The next yard boasted big fat chickens, strutting as if taunting poor Tess. A few yards later, we encountered a big calico cat who sat and stared at us as if challenging us to come near her. Then there was a herd of cattle that, for some strange reason, decided to line up in a row along the fence and glare at us as we walked by. Tess did not appreciate their attention, and to be honest, it gave me the creeps as well. And, as always, sheep were making a commotion from hither and yon, but that’s normal enough here, we’ve learned to tune it out.
When we got home, poor Tess was overstimulated, and I was worn out. Our pleasant morning walk had turned into an exhausting stroll through the valley of distraction. As I write this post, my pooped pup is curled beside me and snoozing away. I think our walk was more than she bargained for, and I know it was more than I expected.
You would think, however, I’d be used to it. After all, much of life feels like traveling through the valley of distraction and temptation. Everywhere we look, things call to us, demanding our time and attention. Good things. Bad things. Things we want and things we don’t. Temptations entice us, promising us fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness. Commitments pull at us, stretching us so thin we feel we might snap. Whenever we think we can mind our own business and do our things, something else jumps out at us, making it impossible for us to carry on or, at the very least, costing us valuable time and energy.
With the many distractions and temptations lying in wait for us all along life’s road, isn’t it good to know we walk with Someone who can keep us from harm and from going astray? Had I not been with Tess this morning, who knows what kind of trouble she would have gotten herself into? While my actions at the time may have seemed cruel to her, she knows by now I have her best interest at heart. I didn’t scold her or pull her away from things because I didn’t want her to have fun. I did it because I love her and want her to be safe.
God does the same for us. He loves us too much to let us wander, sticking our heads in every hole and rolling around in everything that smells too good to pass up. For those of us who have put our trust in Him, He walks with us daily, step by step. And when temptations call out or distractions pull, He gently speaks, “No, child, you don’t want that. It’s not good for you. Stay here and walk with me.”
Yes, traveling through the valley of distraction can be exhausting, but thanks to Jesus, it can also be done safely if we follow His leadership.
By the way, it’s never a good idea to pick a fight with a turkey twice your size. Just something a little terrier taught me.
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. - Psalm 25:4-5