The taming of Abbie

It's been January since Abbie came to live with us. Abbie is a "mixed" dog and sometimes a "mixed up" dog. She came to us with a few phobias. Well, I suppose being abandoned in an animal shelter would create a few phobias! Anyway, just one of the phobias that Abbie needed to get over was the fear of getting her nails clipped. To tell you the truth it was pretty horrifying to see the vet try to clip her nails. Although he acted as though it was no big deal, she would snarl, snap, growl and threaten to take an arm off anytime he began to clip. With the groomer, she was worse. Even with a muzzle they couldn't clip her nail.s Trying to put ear cleaner in her ears was slightly better, but, terrifying to watch. He calmly went about his work talking ever so softly to her as he worried about me getting to close to her mouth. So, during my time away at Presque Isle, MI I decided that Abbie needed to learn to have her nails clipped without such a fuss. By this time I knew that Abbie trusted me, loved me and would not hurt me. I began with nail clippers in sight. That was quite a revelation, she wouldn't come near them, smell them or even glance in their direction. But, eventually they became just part of the scenery. Next I began tapping her nails with them. Then came the big day when, after a long walk, I decided to try to clip those claws! The first try I got one nail, the next try I got a foot and the next try, two feet and finally I go all four paws done. It wasn't without some growling, snarling but no snapping. This morning I knew they had to be done again. I started early (because I had a morning appt) with a long walk and a good brush. Then, the nail clippers and one by one they were done. We're working on it. But, it takes a long time. My appointment arrived just as I was finishing her last paw. I had forgotten how long it took.

As I thought about this I thought about how God works us through our own phobias in life (ya know we've all got 'em). When we open ourselves up to a spiritual life and desire that God be present in our life we slowly, ever so slowly, begin the process of becoming more of who God intended us to be. God uses our every day life to slowly, ever so slowly, move us towards being a whole person. Patient and speaking sooth calming words he uses the situations that we are placed in to work through our fears and disappointments. It seems like God says to me: Ok, let's try it again. If I'm having difficulty getting along with a person it seems like meet that person where ever I go. God offers me the opportunity to think, to react differently, to respond with charity and finally to grow in God's grace. I have to admit that some of the 'lessons' haven't gone all that well and I put Abbie's snapping and snarling to shame! but, eventually, I get it!