'Treat treat'

This month I had the privilege of dog-sitting. As instructed, I would slide open the back door of the house a few times a day to let the dog out. After a few minutes, I would call out the dog's name, hoping that he would readily return. There were a few times, however, when the dog didn't respond readily to his name. If he was in my line of sight, he would even look up to show that he had heard his name, yet not move from where he was. As soon as I would say the words 'treat treat', the dog would jump in excitement and run full speed towards the door. After almost a week of house-sitting, I hoped that when I would call out his name, the dog would eagerly return without me having to call 'treat treat'. Instead, the dog got into the habit of coming to the back porch, watching me as I would slide back open the door, and wait till I said 'treat treat' to fully enter the house.

Are there things that we wait for before entering into where we are called? Are there times when we use the absence of a particular sign, even though we may be sitting on the porch aware that we are being called, as an excuse not to go?

This theme of calling is one that will continue to be explored on this blog every Friday for month February. In the coming blogposts, I hope to share a few thoughts specifically on being called to seminary and how that call still plays an active role in my time here as something I pursue, grapple with, and find assurance in.