“take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.”
One of the things that really excites Maggie in the early morning is her red leash. She does a four legged tap dance all over the kitchen when I reach for it. The leash means something special…in this case a walk, or a trip in the car, or a jaunt to pick up mail down the block.
She shames me because her joy is so apparent and mine is less so. I don’t equate Maggie’s red leash with the one I choose to put on every day. Mine is not a leash, but a yoke…which sounds unattractive. But I remember that to be yoked is to be paired, and in the yoke I am invited to step into each morning, the strong force beside me is the Way of Jesus. Everyday you and I choose a partner in the daily dance. That partnering force can be fear or anger or despair. They’re all waiting to sign you dance card.
Maggie wears her leash because I need to guide her around obstacles and potential harm that she does not recognize. I teach her as we walk along together. I guess you could say we’re yoked together.
You’ve heard the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Well, I’m living proof that the saying is wrong. I learn something new every time I yoke up, every time I put on Christ as part of waking into the world for another day. So tomorrow, somewhere around 5 a.m., if you feel the earth shake, don’t worry. It’s just Maggie and me tap dancing as we hook up.
“take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.”
Matthew 11
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