In the past, she would tire out so fast and nap, so it was easy to deal with any of it while she was asleep. However, as she gets older and faster, this has proven to become more difficult.
When her long fur, especially around her paws started to make the whole ordeal dangerous (as we couldn't see anything once you factor in her fidgeting and gnawing), we began to think of other ways to get her to cooperate - treats, holding her a certain way, two of us grabbing her, scheduling it at different times of the day, etc. Needless to say, we grew tired of it quickly, and it was proving useless! You would swear that she was being tortured as she let out high pitched screams, & gnashed her teeth before the clipper even got near her nails, or the brush even touched her fur! Then, she would jump out of your grip and grab everything that was removed from her as if to say, "that's mine, you can't have it!"
So the time finally came to take her to the pros - they'd know how to produce results and deal with this crazy behaviour!
As I dropped her off to be groomed, I started to wonder about what the whole ordeal would be like for her: you know, how she'd react? and if she'd drive the groomers nuts too! And then I had a thought, how do I react when I've found myself in uncomfortable circumstances in life? We've all had them or are going through them right now. Do we realize that they have the possibility to shape us in some way? and further more, that contrary to popular belief, they were not meant to ruin us?
I laughed at Chloe trying to grab her fallen fur back from the floor, but how many times have I gone through circumstances and tried to grab back the pain, or hurt and the habits that have resulted from them when God was trying to set me free from them? Why? Because they made me feel comfortable. Because they were a part of me.
At what point in our lives do we accept the bitterness, the unforgiveness, the wrong words that were spoken to us, the wrong things that have happened to us, or that we've done to others, as a part of ourselves?
I have noticed one thing with all of the above, as much as I attempt to pray them away or avoid them, they continue to rear their ugly heads - sometimes at different times, sometimes all at once - and usually in different circumstances. In the past, that was my cue to complain, "why me?" (either angrily or miserably) to God.
However, recently, I feel that I finally see the answer to that clearly. It was right there, before me all along. They are God-given reminders and opportunities to allow Him to help us get rid of these things from our lives. I realized that His MO is not "let me take it away", but rather, "I want you to face it, and defeat it with My help. You can do it."
The recurring difficulties you face in your life are probably no coincidence. Neither are they meant to be classified as vicious cycles in your life that merely victimize you. If it's something that keeps coming up, it's because whatever is holding you back, is still there. And here's the news flash in case you didn't see it coming, it will continue to be there until you face it. It doesn't matter if you run from it and hide, cover it up with a mask or illusions of grandeur, drown it with tears or alcohol, candy-coat it and pretend it doesn't exist, pick the scabs to rehearse the events, or continue to replace people in your lives because you think they are cause of the problem. It or they, will still be there.
But I want to tell you today, that they don't have to continue being there. That as long as you are alive, there is Hope. But the decision will always be Yours. Only yours.
There is One who can help you heal. He says that you are beautiful without these leeches that have attached themselves to you. You can be free to be the 'real' you. Perhaps it's time for you to finally allow yourself to be groomed by the Professional Himself?
And this time, you won't go and pick up what falls to the ground....because you've realized that it was never really a part of you anyway.
