Rescue Me

If I put off sharing some follow up thoughts on rescues another day or two, I am sure to forget what I was planning to share.  No, I don't think this is due to Senior Cognitive Impairment (getting old and forgetful), but I can't be sure.
Now, where was I? (kidding)

Last time, I told you about two rescued dogs.  And I saw several spelling, grammatical errors as I quickly read through it the day after.  Not mistakes with the dogs.  Errors in the writing.  Too bad for those of you who are picky about such things...

Both Hairy (and I shall refrain, if I remember, from the annoying habit of inserting "BDE" after this dog's name) and Scooter (current, and probably last name.  Not Scooter's last name, but the last name he will have. He only has one name.  Currently.  He has had four.  But no last names-just his only names) experienced rescues.

I wrote about those because I wanted to talk about the fact that we all need rescuing at times, that there are different kinds of rescues and rescuers, and that our experiences in being involved in rescues can be instructive.  Hmm-that sounds like a lot.  And it is late (for me).  So I will write some and see how it goes.

First-we all need rescuing.  The obvious is that, as mortals in this world, we need the rescuing that comes from the Infinite Atonement.  More thoughts about that another time.
But there are other times in life when we need rescuing.  Some are matters of life and death, others just seem like matters of life and death, but aren't really.  Sometimes we don't know that we are being rescued, but the act changes our direction enough to drastically change our lives in the long term.

Scooter probably didn't know he needed to be rescued-and we are still working on it.  I'm not sure how his life was pre-Nat, but I'm sure it was different from how it is now.  Scoot acts as if he was either beaten and abused or that he grew up in a wild environment.  It is taking him a long time to adapt to a new, and, we hope, better life.  And his life was spared from the fate that awaits many "unwanted" dogs.  Nat's action to adopt this hound has changed his life, but Scooter is still trying to figure it out and build trust with these kind people with whom he lives.

Hairy (notice, if you will, that I did not add the annoying "BDE") didn't have a clue that he needed rescuing.  He was just enjoying a nice doggy-paddle across the canal on a fine summer day.  Then the bottom fell out and he was in the rolling waters under the small drop off in the canal.  He was working as hard as he could to get out of the back-flowing current that kept rolling him under the falls, but was not strong enough on his own to get out of the vicious cycle.   He needed someone to rescue him from drowning in the murky canal water.

Let's talk about Hairy (tempting, but I won't do it...) first.  There are times in our lives when we need rescuing, and it is obvious that we do.  Sometimes we are clueless, then, suddenly, we realize we are in over our heads.  Example from the scriptures-The Savior and his closest disciples had just met with a multitude and fed them spiritually and physically.  He wanted time alone to commune with His Father, and the twelve got on a boat to cross to the other side of Galilee. When they were about four miles out from shore, they were caught in a violent storm.  It was in the darkest time of the night-around three in the morning-the "fourth watch"-and they were struggling for their very lives.  I don't know if the Savior had been watching their struggles from a hill on the shore, but I know that He was aware of their predicament and their desperate need. You remember the story.  He came to them, walking on the sea, in their greatest hour of need, to calm the storm and save them.  I would imagine that they thought they needed saving sometime before the fourth watch, but that is when He came.  Peter had an adventure when he saw the Lord, but that is another tale.
There are times in our lives when we are rolling around in murky canal water, struggling with all of our strength, but we can't get out.  Or when we are out in the dark stormy night that has seemed to go on forever and we just know we will perish.  We are crying for help but none seems to be coming-until it arrives to save us just as we are going down, we are sure, for the last time.  Even the rescue may not be the most wonderful experience (we think).  We may have enough faith to take a few steps on the the rolling swells of the sea, but then start to sink and need to be rescued again.  Maybe our rescuer pulls our ear until it feels like it is going to come off, then we are in the water again.  And when we are finally pulled out, we are tossed onto the hard ground and thumped on.  "...All these things shall be for (your) good".

OK-late enough.  I just have a few things to say about Scooter, then make a couple of more points, and be done with this.  That's how it goes tonight...

'Night.