goin' outside with a growl

My wife and I don't have children in the home anymore, just a dog. A seventy pound English Bulldog, affectionately named BAMA, who eats more groceries than all of our kids and grand kids put together. A critter definitely spoiled by my better half. He slobbers, sheds, snores, barks relentlessly at our neighbors and runs through our tiny house like a Mississippi wild hog on steroids. Worst, of all his traits, is the ability to emit the foulest of odors, when least expected, and usually in the company of others. Often the victims are first time guests; often the crime is committed in confined quarters. Being accustomed to BAMA's unique timing for such a dirty trick, as well as our developing a numbness to it's impact, we seldom notice his accomplishment anymore. However, when others are present,  Linda and I spend many agonizing moments trying to defend ourselves! Yep, he's nasty, but we love him.
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Thank goodness he's potty trained! We do the outside routine several times in the morning, before leaving for work, and at least that many times in the evening before bed. He's good about it, and seems as if he enjoys his roaming time. That was, before last week.
We live in a part of the country where we've been blessed with an abundance of snow and super cold temps this winter. It was time for his final journey to the outdoors and I didn't think I was ever going to pry him from the warm, cozy depths of his super soft, super fluffy bed. He huffed and puffed his dissatisfaction all the way to the front door, but was compliant. That is, until he came face to face with a ten inch drift and a chilling minus five degrees. I pushed open the storm door making a space large enough for him to pass, and waited for his exit. It didn't happen. In fact, he locked up tighter than a skunk in a rat hole and put every thing in reverse. Determined to accomplish my mission, I gently booted him in the rear and out the door he went! GROWLING all the way!
Bama's joyful exit into the uncomfortable makes me wonder if this is the way I respond to a mission God has called me to? Am I only happy...joyful, when comfortable? You know, warm and fuzzy, feeling good about myself, content. Do I say, "Lord, I'll serve you. Just keep it comfortable. No trials, no challenges, none of that `walking by faith' stuff. Oh, and by the way, you know I'm just a man, weak and frail, so don't expect any changes...great or small. I get to stay the way I am. You know, nasty!"
God's given me a mission, and this is it. This! Right here! You're reading it! Yep, I'm blogging! Scared? You bet! Heck, two weeks ago I didn't even know what a blog was! Folks, you're dealing with a redneck from the south who passed English by bribing the teacher with a box of candy and an offer to take her daughter on a date! I thought a blog was something you bought at the Pac-A-Sac to go with your sardines and crackers on the way to the fishin' hole.
Yep, I'm scared, intimidated,...way out of my comfort zone, and would really like to be fishin' right now, but I can't. No! That's not correct! Let me say this. I choose not to go fishin' but instead, choose to take part in this exciting adventure laid before me. Countless times in my life God has allowed me to be on some of the most fantastic journeys one could imagine. What a shame it would be to choose comfort over experiencing Him once more. I'm really lookin' forward to it! You see, I know God is going bless in ways unknown, ways unseen. That's why He's God! Even though I'm nasty(and He's workin' on that) he still chooses to use me. There's no need to growl, just going forth with complete joy and contentment, knowing that He is in control and He's going to let me be part of His work!
Oh, by the way, anybody want to buy an English Bulldog? Cheap, slightly used with minor defects - no warranty. If you call, ask for me. Don't talk to my wife.
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CrossRiver speaker Roy Roper grew up in Alabama and while he no longer lives there, he's living proof that while you may be able to take the boy out of the south, you definitely can't take the south out of the boy. This former high patrolman, turned district judge has been married to his wife, Linda for 43 years. He has two grown children, five grandkids and a rather stubborn bulldog named BAMA. He loves hunting and to say he likes fishin' is a bit of an understatement. When he's not teaching outdoor sport enthusiasts about the beauty of lures, rods and reels, he sharing his faith with them. To enjoy more of his humorous insight into scripture, visit him on Facebook at facebook.com/southernviewministries or on his blog at a-southern-view.blogspot.com