21 September – Rev’d Susie Collingridge, Area Dean of Petersfield and Priest-in-Charge of Steep and Froxfield with Privett

Seize the Day!

The picture was of a little dog, running full pelt out of a gate, into the fields and on into the wide blue yonder! The card read, “Live like someone left the gate open!”

Last week that was us. The fence at the bottom of my new garden (it turns out) is not dog-proof. Not for my dog anyway. She is an energetic, inquisitive six year old who should know better, and the excitement of making friends with some deer in the woods was just too much. A new neighbour found her in their garden and kindly brought her home.

There’s nothing wrong with routine, stability and sticking to what you know. After all, I want the people I love to know for certain how much I care about them, and I want people I meet to know that I am reliable and trustworthy.

Yet that doesn’t mean that life needs to be the same all the time and it doesn’t have to be boring.

One dog had a camera fitted to its harness, linked to its heart rate. So, whenever it was excited, the camera took a photo. The results gave a knee-high, dog’s-eye view of the world. The pup felt happy when it saw its owner, next door’s cat, a pigeon, some chips on the pavement, a waggy-tailed friend. The world is full of simple wonder for a pooch like mine. Every new place brings fresh (and not-so-fresh) smells to investigate. New people (and deer) mean new friends to meet.

Jesus said that there’s something lovely about approaching God like a child. Full of wonder and amazement – not jaded and dull, but full of fresh excitement at life and what might happen next.

A bit like if someone left the gate open.