The Flog – The Fabry Log

I’m speaking at a men’s conference/retreat in a month. I know the message but the illustrations are hard to choose. Today some things came together and one strong memory returned.

The message is about dropping our nets and following God. The example is of our dog, Pippen. I hadn’t remembered this until the other day when we were talking about socks. Pippen, when he could still see, would go through the house and pick up our socks from the floor. I have no idea why. He just loved to pick them up and carry them in his mouth. Maybe it’s a dog thing.

I used to find socks outside where he would carry them and drop them in the yard. At first I couldn’t understand why the kids were so irresponsible. Then I watched Pippen closely and discovered his secret sock stealing. When I found him with a sock in his mouth, I would say, “Pippen, drop it.” Sheepishly, he would put his mouth to the carpet and let the sock go. Just as quickly he’d pick it up again.

When he tried to run with my socks in his mouth, dangling, he’d get tripped up. When he needed to drink or to eat, he had a hard time deciding whether to get nourishment or keep the sock. Even when Pippen went blind, he managed to find socks and carry them around. It affected his ability to follow us or come when he was called.

I’m so much like him. There are things I hold onto tightly that aren’t good for me. There are good things I hang onto that I shouldn’t. They slow me down and keep me from running, keep me from being free, keep me from following more closely to my master.
It’s not just a dog thing, I guess. It’s a people thing, too.