Yesterday, I had the privilege of leading a writing workshop with some young kids at a nearby Christian camp. I had four kids in my group. Their ages ranged from seven to twelve. During the workshop, I took the kids on a walk and talked with them about the importance of stories and words in our everyday lives. I encouraged them to find something on our journey that they would want to write about when we finished. The kids came up with a variety of things.
The kids were creative and sometimes very silly in what they wrote. But I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to act like a kid again.
While walking, we came upon a dog that lived at the camp. It stopped to let the kids pet it. Then it went off to go wherever it wanted. Later in the day, I saw it lying under a tree. Another time, I spotted the dog rolling around in the ground like it was trying to scratch its back. I watched the dog for a minute and wondered what it was like to be a dog.
Then I wrote the following as part of the creative writing workshop.
Dogs like to walk around and be free. They go wherever their nose takes them. They smell a scent and follow it.
Sometimes they get tired along the way and stop for a short nap. Dogs take life as it comes to them. They don’t spend energy worrying about the future. They simply enjoy the beauty of life around them.
Dogs live a carefree life. Sure, they have troubles like when flees catch a ride on them. This makes a dog itch all over. But dogs accept flees as part of life. They simply roll around in the dirt, scratch or rub against a tree. They know hot to deal with the problem without letting the flees get them depressed.
Sometimes I wish that I was more like a dog. I wish that I didn’t worry about the future. It would be nice to be more carefree. If I only could enjoy life, like a dog does.
Wait a minute – I can! All I have to do is to trust God. He will help me with my problems. The Bible says that God cares for even the birds in the air. I am worth more than birds because I am created in God’s image. Come to think of it, I am glad to be a person because I can have thoughts and experiences that a dog could never have. Although I can learn a few things from a dog’s life, I am glad to be me.
