Dog Day Wisdom

Out of the Mouths of Dogs 

I fell in love with Garth Stein’s book—The Art of Racing in the Rain.  Put simply—it’s wisdom distilled from a dog’s point of view as the narrator of the story.  This is not a dog book, but dog lovers will love it.  Stein offers the place to step back and reflect on daily living.  He allows us to reenter our world and enrich our lives.  Take for example, the commentary which Enzo the dog makes after listening to human beings. 

“Here’s why I will make a good person. Because I listen. I cannot speak, so I listen veryu well. I never interrupt.  I never deflect the course of a conversation with a comment of my own. People, if you pay attention to them, change the direction of each other’s conversations constantly.  It’s like having a passenger in your car who suddenly grabs the steering wheel and turns you down a side street.”    (p. 101)

I have heard it said that listening, really listening to another person is a priceless gift for both people.  A moment of grace…it allows each person to really be.  It conveys the mutual respect, unconditional regard—for both the speaker and listener. Listening is also some of the most arduous work—we have to work at it to make it work.  

Listening is also a spiritual discipline.  Before Enzo narrated this book, Brother Lawrence wrote The Practice of the Presence of God.  The heart of it is listening in daily activities for the presence of God who often speaks in silence.  We “practice” being still to hear “the still small voice” of God in our lives—which is always there, seldom sought.  (1 Kings 19:12)  

Wouldn't it be helpful if we could "click on" ourselves to "Look Inside" and see for ourselves what goes on when we listen?   How would we narrate our lives?