Schnauzer bird dog

It is obviously pet week at the Brinkman house. Lou the Schnauzer has decided that he is a bird dog.

Here's the story. Up at church, we have a lot of geese. They are pretty, but they make a big mess. I don't mind the mess in the grass, but when it is on sidewalks and across the parking lot, well, the geese need to move on to Canada. It's a natural thing. They are called Canadian Geese for a reason.

So, I am off on Fridays. Fridays are good days to think. Yesterday, when we got up, Lou the Schnauzer says to me, "hey, old guy, can I go for a walk today?" I told him that I would take him up to church to run around. That seemed to satisfy him.

About 8:30am we get up to the church and I let him out in the field. About 75 yards away from us there is a nice flock of 25 geese. Lou is so excited to be somewhere besides his own back yard, he doesn't even notice them. For ten minutes he is snooping around, nose to the ground, investigating every new scent. I tell him, "get those birds." He keeps running around in circles, sniffing the ground. I move closer to the geese. "Get those birds." He is oblivious. He is nose to the ground, wondering what all of these new smells are.

Finally, he looks up and sees them, and he is off like a shot. As fast as his little legs can carry him. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Lou is on a b-line for the geese.

They see him coming and take to the air. He chases them for a while. Then, triumphantly returns to his handler. Lou has moved up in the world. He is now a bird dog.

There is a moral to this story. When your head is constantly looking down, you will never see what is on the horizon. When you can't get your eyes off of what is right in front of your face, you will never see what lies ahead. We need to look past the momentary concerns and see the big picture.

Lift up your eyes. See the possibilities.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.