So for an update….Hubert is now loving life as a country dog in Ruffin, SC as Mr. Anthony Scott’s new companion. He is a lovely retired truck driver who had fallen in love with his sons bloodhounds and who’s wife had grown up with one. They love him! Jason drove him out there Saturday morning. It was a lot harder for us here than I thought it would be. My little Jack chased us out to the car screaming to not take Hubert away. Ben was in tears. I was in tears. So in the category of “lessons from Hubert”, this is my final entry. The lesson he taught me on our final exam: never, ever push something that is not meant to be. My husband spoke on “Detours” in our Kinetic service this past Sunday. He highlighted Steven Furtick’s blog entry on walls or doors. Jason focused on how when circumstances don’t go according to our plan sometimes we either try to force those circumstances into what we want or we freak out and turn around to go another way. I obviously pushed a circumstance into something that I wanted. My lovely husband loves dogs and has always loved bloodhounds. It isn’t that he isn’t a dog person, but that he has a better sense of what we can handle as a family at this time and where we are in our ministry. I think that I can take on so much, cram so many things into a day and I need my husband, my stopwatch and planner, to tell me that the plan in my head is not the one that is going to come to pass. He has a better sense when it comes to this. But I didn’t listen. I was of one track mind after seeing that cute picture of that adorable 15# puppy. I wouldn’t take no for an answer. So in that, I learned that my husband needs to be listened to. It seems he knows what he is talking about. Because for the last 2 months we have had struggles with spending Hubert’s energy, with protecting the kids from his bounding thru them, with wiping the drool off of my poor cat and with him and Marla fighting all day. So the decision to find Hubert a more suitable home was something I had to come to peace with. It was a circumstance that I made for myself because of the stubbornness of wanting to make MY plan work. Not exactly a wall that is packed full of scriptural references or a fight with a giant (David’s battle with Goliath was a wall he made into an open door for doing greater things for the kingdom of God) -but one that can be learned from and applied to being the submissive and trusting wife that I should be-which yes, is a spiritual lesson!!!
Pastor Steven Furtick says in his blog, “Your struggles are not walls, they are doors.
Doors to the next level in your relationship with God. Doors that lead to a new horizon of His favor. They’re the necessary passageways through which all of us must pass to get to the place God is taking us to. And until you go through them, you can’t get there.”
So final lesson from Hubert. My plan isn’t the one to follow. When faced with a wall-lean on those close and trustworthy around you that have an outside look at your circumstance. They can point you toward the door amongst the boulders. And more specific to this life lesson: No matter how cute and cuddly your plan may look, if it isn’t the plan that is meant for you and your God given purpose, it will grow into a smelly, slobbery mess that is heartbreaking for you and others that you have brought along your fight for your own agenda….I’m through this door now. Ready for the next wall.
Then to the Lovelace’s pool where we met up with Jason and more great friends. I couldn’t think of a better meal to feed my family tonight than one of our all time favs (minus Jack). My dearest friend Erin just recently wrote about this shared favorite meal Lowcountry Shrimp Boil. We love this meal. For it’s ease in preparation, it’s glorious taste and it’s way to bring some of the most important people in your life together! It was perfect! Although, I usually use Zataran’s crab boil seasonings and didn’t have any on hand…and didn’t want to trapes through Publix with my 3 boys in wet bathing suits. So I used my new favorite ipad app for Epicurious and found a wonderful recipe for the seasoning. Most of the stuff I had…but I couldn’t tell that I had left anything out!! All were very pleased! Loving the summertime!!
Oak and Pines 