A short walk to the neighbour’s to give her some apple cake.
She’s been feeding the cat while we were in Glasgow helping Mhairi get settled.
I phoned ahead, hoping they would corral their exuberant
German shepherd Abby, who, if she doesn’t whap you onto the ground in sheer
delight, is likely to lick you to death.
My hopes were in vain.
‘You don’t mind Abby, do you?’ he asked.
The thing is, I am a doggy person. I don’t mind Abby; I even
like Abby, but I don’t like her wet tongue lashings and her sharp claws, which
are likely to tear skin or trousers.
My parents were US Marines in WW2. They ran a ‘tight ship’,
we were often reminded, where we had to ‘shape up or ship out’. There was lots
of laughter and banter, but my sister and I knew they weren’t joking about the
self-control. We had to behave, mind our manners, respect others and respect
property.
One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. Obviously Abby
needs work on that one … Probably a lot of us could use a good dollop of
self-discipline.
Funny, that I often ask God to help me to respond with kindness
and gentleness, to be understanding and patient, to fill me with his joy and
peace. Not so sure I ask for him to swell my store of self-control.
I’m not likely to lick anyone to death. But I’m sure there
are many things I do which are pure self-indulgence.
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