Here we go again with another “Five Minute Friday” post! To learn more about “Five Minute Friday” (FMF), check out the linked image here.
Basically, each week there’s a word given for you to write about. You start writing, no back-tracking, editing, etc. At the end of 5 minutes, you stop. Then you post it, and share in the community of words that were birthed during these 24-ish hours. It’s cool stuff.
So here’s this week’s response to the word:STAY
I remember growing up, we had a puppy. A few days went by, and it died. Beethoven the Beagle – rest in peace. Then not long after, we obtained a new puppy. A cross between a Chow, a Saint Bernard, and a demon. When training a puppy, you often find yourself yelling (to no avail), “Stay!”. Needless to say, Barney was not a fan of – nor talented with – the gift of “staying”.
We had a pool in the backyard, and it often became a game of “who will distract Barney long enough for the rest of us to get into the pool without being mauled?” Seriously, throw the ball, run barefoot across the grass, and pray to God he doesn’t jump on your back forcing you to the ground. You may be laughing, but it got to the point where we had to dump the food over the fence and back up quickly. He ate Furball and Mr. Rogers (our rabbits).
As much as I have negative memories of Barney, I know he was just a puppy who never learned to “Stay”, because he didn’t have consistent teachers/enforcers. His overpowering “puppy love” was out of control, and his claws/teeth were simply trying to show his affection.
I want my love for God and others to be just as energetic. Sure, the metaphor has limits…I don’t want to maul anyone, or to hurt anyone by love that doesn’t know how to be expressed. But I also don’t want to limit my love for God, my family, or strangers whom God loves – simply because conventional expressions demand something more Hallmark-ish.
dang….5 minutes gone.
How about you? Have you loved like a giant, dangerous puppy recently? 🙂
words from wick 
Me! I have! [loved a giant, dangerous puppy lately] Two of them actually. And while not quite as dangerous as your Barney it sounds, I get the metaphor. Their innocent and ever-energetic puppy-hood is something natural to respect and embrace. Our own wildness is sometimes better left untamed!
for sure! I think this all came from reading Bob Goff’s “Love Does” recently. Crazy-great book, and a must read. I’ll be reviewing it in a post soon.
Thanks for the chuckle there, Wick! We had a pug growing up and his love was ferocious, too 😉
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, actually. Football season does this to me. As I hear others rant about how they’re celebrating the game, dressing up for it, painting faces and I wonder. Why do we reserve our best behavior for worshiping Him? Doesn’t He deserve a tailgate party? Painted faces and all?
all that and more. 🙂 Thanks Nikki!
What a good analogy between the two
Thanks Cassi! Come again!! 🙂