Pet life has a rhythm and routine to it, and Charlie’s life is no different.
Every day when he wakes up, his first desire is to be outside. Not only does he take care of his doggie business, he “checks the perimeter” to ensure no rodents have infiltrated his yard. After that, he gets his morning meal. From there, he follows me to the bedroom to sigh and mope as I get ready for work.
Once I’ve left, I have it on good authority that Charlie regularly checks the back windows for invaders and alternately naps throughout his day. If there are people home, he will pester them from time to time to go out and verify the safety of our yard.
When I return home from work, he expects to be let out. He then has his dinner at 6 o’clock. Around 8 he has a game of fetch or tug-of-war. Then around 9, Charlie retires for the evening. It doesn’t matter who is up or what they are doing, he goes back to the bedroom and sleeps.
Day after day, this is the routine of Charlie’s life. He doesn’t seem at all dissatisfied with it. When things are different, like when we have company, it is a stress to his little doggie system. He has to get extra sleep in to accommodate all the excitement his body has experienced. Overall, though, he enjoys his routine life and is happy for it to remain that way.
We have routines too. Time for work, time for play, time for our social activities. Some people even have their meal options scheduled. Spaghetti night, taco Tuesday, soup on Fridays, etc.
As human beings, we refer to ourselves as creatures of habit. Mostly, I think that phrase is said in a deprecating fashion, but what’s wrong with some order to our lives?
I was recently on vacation, and attended Mass at another parish. Everything was different even though it was the same Mass. The church building was brand new and very contemporary. The parish was made up of so many cultures of people with different accents and styles of clothes. Even their music options were different than what I am used to.
Sometimes, I really like to go to a totally different Mass in order to force myself to focus on what I am doing and how I am praying. But this time, it wasn’t a good thing.
I was in a bad mood that morning, and I wanted the simple rhythm and routine I’m used to so I could talk to God about my problems. Instead, I was so distracted by everything being so different. It made me uncomfortable. I was out of sorts, and felt as if not one minute had been spent with God.
What a great life lesson, right?
How often are our routines disrupted? How many times have we been longing for that simple routine only to be left with sickness, death, unemployment, the list could go on and on!
Are those the times that God isn’t around? Is it in those difficult moments that God is punishing us? I don’t think so. They are just the twists and turns that are our journey.
Sometimes we are thrown off by these disruptions, and sometimes they realign our lives. Both are opportunities to see God at work in our lives, either through those we are able to help or through those who are helping us.
Life isn’t always about being the helping hand. Sometimes we need to be helped. Disruptions to our routine can make that uncomfortably obvious. It can be humbling to realize we aren’t perfect, but after all isn’t that what going to church is supposed to be about?
God calls to us in many different ways, and sometimes it can be in those disruptions to our routines. Hopefully, going to Mass is a good disruption for us. A way to realize we are more than just our habits.
Right, Charlie?
~Christy Cabaniss
