Stay

fighting our instincts

I thought of trying something new this week: there weren’t going be any Rocco pictures. But there *was* a video if you go here.

That didn’t last because my dog is just so dang cute.

ABS: always be sniffin’

Rocco and I have been working on learning to, “Stay.” I say Rocco *and* I because I have also had to learn what to do in order to help him to stay. Every time he does it, I am extremely excited.

“Come” has been a slightly different story.

When there’s no one and nothing else around, Rocco will come when I say, “Come!” no problem. I say his name, I say the command, and the little buddy comes running with his ears flapping in the wind.

But if there is any other distraction— literally anything at all— I might as well be one of the villains in Air Bud trying to kidnap him.

Just yesterday, we were playing in a neighbor’s backyard and Rocco was waiting outside of their closed back door, trying to scratch his way in. “Come, Rocco!” I enthusiastically said. Nothing.

A few days ago we were playing with other dogs in a friend’s backyard and Rocco found a tiny rabbit hole. As mentioned in the first few newsletters, Rocco is a houdini who can escape through the smallest exit imaginable. “No worries,” I thought. “He will listen to me when I ask him to come!”

Nope.

It’s been frustrating. I’m at a point where I pretty much always have treats in my pockets because while Rocco won’t listen to me, he will come for a treat. But that just means that whenever I sit down, Rocco is digging at my pocket.

*sigh* Why is it so difficult to get this 20-pound dog to listen to me?

Instinct. That’s why.

Rocco is a hound, a hunting dog. His instinct is to hunt. Sometimes he hunts treats. He also hunts animals. He hunts smells. He hunts pretty much anything.

To break this instinct is quite literally going against what God made him to do. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’s no wonder it’s an uphill battle when I’m asking him to come in for a pet instead of hunting a curious smell.

I’m grateful he’s so good at doing what God made him to do. Praise God in all his creation! (please sense a little bit of sarcasm here)

As in all things, it does reveal something about God. It reveals that God made each of us, in the core of our being, for something very specific. I know I’ve written a lot before about discerning our individual calls and following what God is asking us to do, whether it is earth-changing or not. But this is a little bit different.

Because, you see, what God has actually asked Rocco to do (well, not asked, but where God has put Rocco) is to be a companion for me. Part of being a companion for me means listening to me, coming when I say to come, etc..

But what Rocco is made to do as a beagle, in his nature, is to hunt. These things seem a little contradictory.

As humans, in our nature, we are made to love and serve God in this world so that we will be with Him forever in the next. Seems pretty simple, right? Seems like whatever God will ask of us could not possibly go against our nature (and that would be correct).

But that nature has been corrupted by sin. Our *fallen* human nature means that we have a tendency to choose what serves ourselves, whether that is pride, pleasure, possessions, popularity, or whatever sin we wrestle with the most.

So, we have to go against our instinct. We have to avoid the curious smell of eating 3 pounds of bacon by ourselves and the allure of wealth and constant fancy vacations or accumulating thousands of followers.

Instead, we have to honor what we were *actually* made for. Rocco was made for me. You were made for heaven. The way we do this?

“Give all that you have to the poor. And then come, follow me.” (Mt. 19:21)

A Couple of Notes:

1. If you enjoy this writing and don’t want it to stop, please become a paid subscriber here! That allows me to spend time writing these newsletters that I would otherwise be spending on other projects.

2. The Catholic Book Club is still happening and this month we’re reading a thriller! This month’s book is Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. Book club will be on March 4th at 8pm EST on Zoom.

3. Don’t forget to get fun faith-related items from Sock Religious! I just got all of their no-show socks, which you can get right here.