Look!

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“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:8

Training Squirrel has been, well, ongoing. Which I’m sure is true of any dog.

But especially Squirrel.

He remembers things about as well as squirrels remember where they hid their acorns for the winter. Unless it's dinner time. He always remembers dinner time.

One of the most helpful commands that we’ve worked on is “look!” Fortunately, it’s also one of his better commands. That and “back up” which comes in handy more often than you might think. 

Why is “look” so important? 

I need Squirrel to understand that I am the one in charge, not some accessory at the end of his leash. No matter what chaos is surrounding us, the safest thing he can do is first look at me for guidance. It is my responsibility to get us out of tricky situations, and it is his job to keep his focus on me.

This is obviously not a dog’s first reaction to a loud leaf-blower or a cat running across the street. 

Squirrel’s more natural reaction is to completely forget I exist and charge ahead with me flying horizontally at the end of the leash like a cartoon.

We did, however, have a particularly rewarding moment on one of our recent morning walks. Another dog on a retractable leash bounded toward us, barking and pulling his owner along. I could see Squirrel tensing, so I pulled him off to the side, asked him to sit, and then commanded him to “look.”

To my amazement, Squirrel made eye contact with me and remained there until the other excitable puppy had passed (it didn’t hurt that I had a peanut butter biscuit in hand, but hey – whatever helps!). I rewarded him with the treat, lots of love, and no small measure of joy over how well he had done. 

The spiritual application itself screams out, “Look! Can you not see how this applies to you, Meg?”  

I find it just as difficult to obey as Squirrel. When the world is going crazy around me, as it often seems to, my only job is to keep my eyes on my Savior. I will never find peace if I am focused on all the “barking dogs” around me. Instead, I am called to listen for that still small voice whispering “Look, little one. Look at me.”