Julie Lavender

GUEST BLOGGER


My guest blogger is my online friend, Patty Schell. Patty blesses my site today with a post about her walk with God....and her dog Skipper. Please read her words below and then jump over to her website, "A Full Life." You'll love her words, and she sprinkles some delicious recipes in her writings. A most recent one sounds quite fitting for a cold, winter's evening: Corn and Cauliflower Chowder. 

Walking Lessons from Skipper: Sometimes You Just Want to Be Carried

Just a short walk before dinner we said when we pulled into the campground. We had been in the car all day and a little stroll before dinner would do us good. We leashed the dog and set out. Two hours and almost four miles later we finally made it back to our camp spot . . . exhausted.

Poor little Skipper. To the legs of a very small Chihuahua mix dog, it must have seemed like a million miles. He was a champ most of the way, but when my feet grew weary, I knew he had to be spent. The rough path and the distance became too much for him. He looked at me and pleaded for relief.

Haven’t we all been there? The road ahead seemed smooth and easy when we started out. Our trail around the lake was exactly that. It was easy and level, but much of it was hidden from our view by the twists and turns it took along the way. We had no idea how long it would take us. When we thought surely, we would turn back in the direction of our trailer, it took us farther away. Even the beauty that surrounded us could not erase the fatigue we began to feel near the end.

At one point, my husband asked if he could take a turn carrying the dog, I told him, “No, but can you carry me?” Lol! I could just picture it. The dog in my arms and I slung over the shoulder of my hubby is a funny picture, for sure. But as silly as this might seem, God is willing to do this very thing each day of our lives.

“Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! 

For each day he carries us in his arms.” 

Psalm 68:19 NLT

Our lives are filled with many responsibilities, one of which is being there when others need help. The whole loving your neighbor is wrapped up in this idea. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfilled the law of Christ.”  But what happens when the path seems too long or there are twists and turns you did not anticipate leaving you wondering if you can make it? God happens. He carries us.

I have always envisioned this verse to be just about me and my troubles. A tad self-focused, I know, but I now have a new perspective since our walk around the lake. Just as my concern was for our short-legged dog, my concern should be for others. A big task until I remember who is actually doing the carrying.

A well-known children’s song comes to mind that most of us are familiar with—He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. Let’s not shy away from helping others. God’s got this. I am now picturing riding right up on God’s big shoulders, pointing out the sights to those I carried up there with me and telling them, “Isn’t He amazing.”

“He’s got you and me brother in His hands.”

Laurie London

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Patty Schell is a woman who has quite a ‘hat’ collection. Her jobs include keeper of the home, creator of beautiful things, and cooker of much yumminess. But the role she enjoys the most is student of the Bible. Patty currently serves at her local church as an encourager of women, challenging them to embrace this journey called Life and live it God’s way, and she has just co-authored a Bible study called Legacy: Living NOW for Future Generations that is available on Amazon.  Patty is a wife to her husband of 45 years, and they split their time between the desert foothills of Southern California and the farmland of Oklahoma. On weekends, they become builders of loft houses for the needy in Mexico. She is a mother to three grown daughters and grandmother to eleven grandchildren. Yes, Patty does wear a lot of hats, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Following God takes you on the best adventures. You can read more from her on her blog, "A Full Life."