No Matter your Size, you can Still be Fierce

Every time I returned from a hike, Roxie was sitting at her guard post, halfway up the stairs where she can see out the large windows that flank the stone fireplace. No one was getting away with anything on her watch. 

Guard dog Roxie

Back when I was widowed, my bro- and sis-in-law offered use of their log cabin for six weeks every winter while they escaped to warmer climes. This was one of those times—holed away in their remote, cozy lodge with my sis-in-law’s dog, Roxie. 

I brought the essentials. A stack of books. A couple of knitting projects. Hiking boots. Laptop. An ample supply of ingredients for Chai latte. Priorities, you know.

Unhurried time alone is a gift that we humans don’t get very often. Or maybe it’s that we don’t take advantage of it when the slowing-down opportunities present themselves. There are critical life reminders that get away from us in the normal crazy. And slowing down can bring them to our remembrance.

I was reminded of 4 things during those several weeks in an isolated cabin on a couple thousand acres:

Life Reminder #1. It pays to pay attention.

The wildlife and the beauty of a soft white blanket spread across meadows and on fence posts and flung over the high hills—this was God and his awesomeness.

I mostly stayed to the plowed road in my daily meanderings. Quail and pheasant skittered away at the sound of boots crunching on packed snow. Small bands of deer loped uphill. I bent to examine the bobcat tracks that followed mine from the previous day.

One morning before sunrise, a rather large owl was sitting on top of a nearby pole when I took Roxie outdoors. The owl saw my furry little friend and lifted his wings. When he swooped toward us, I scooped up the little dog in the yard. And the owl made a U-turn in midair.

I want to always notice, to always pay attention—with a heart of gratitude—to the numerous gifts that each day brings.

Life Reminder #2. Simple pleasures are the best.

One early, dark morning, the geese on the pond near the house were calling out through the mist to their buddies on the lower pond.

I quietly stepped onto the side deck and stood to listen, hugging my mug of hot tea. Their melody and harmony caused me to hold my breath, it was that beautiful.

So many simple pleasures in life. The sound of a text message dinging in from a friend. The lick of a puppy’s rough tongue. Aroma of Chai latte. Watching a winter scarf unfold beneath my knitting needles.

And these honking geese.

I want to treasure everything while I still have breath, and mobility, and all five senses intact.

Life Reminder #3. It’s a good thing to daydream in small doses.

Those weeks were filled with reading and listening to a variety of podcasts while knitting. And bundling up and praying while walking in the shadow of the frosted hills. And writing to the sound of a fire crackling. And maybe a bit of daydreaming while gazing into the flames.

A number of studies indicate that if we slow down long enough to daydream, it can boost our creativity and problem-solving skills, and help us concentrate and focus on a specific task.

Dream away, my friend. Imagine what God can do through your surrendered, available heart.

Life Reminder #4. No matter how small you are, you can still be fierce.

Roxie doesn’t know how small she is. She stands alert at any out-of-the-ordinary sound. And while I don’t know what she’d do if put to the test, she knows in her heart that she’s a fierce guard dog.

I’m too small, too insignificant, and without enough resources to accomplish all the hopes and goals that bubble up in my heart. But there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that if God is writing those things into my story, then he can provide for anything and everything he’s called me to do.

And I am fiercely guarding that knowledge with prayer because of who I am in Christ Jesus:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

What if we could take a few moments this week to daydream, and then capture our creative thoughts and ideas in writing? We could.

What if our size or position or resources don’t matter when it comes to realizing our God-infused goals? They don’t.

And what if it’s possible to be fierce about all the things that are worth being fierce about? It is.