The Gifts of the Day Part 5

September 5, 2026

As I reflect this morning, a gift arrived that is helping me meet the challenges of the day ahead. It is not a material gift, but a gift of the heart.

One of our two new dogs, Jefferson (affectionately called Jeff) is about twelve years old. He and his “sister,” Mutilda, came to us about four months ago. Millie, the wonderful daughter our friend Ridgely, who recently passed away, offered them to us, and they were exactly the dogs we needed. They are gifts in themselves, but this morning, in his own sweet way, Jeff gave me another gift—a gift of hope.

Jeff and Mutilda were rescued when Ridgely adopted them several years ago. We know nothing about their lives before her, nor did she. But Jeff had seven years with Ridgely, who loved him and Mutilda to the moon and back. You can imagine the grief these two dogs must have endured in just having lost Ridgely, their rescuer, protector, nurturer, and beloved companion.

Jeff is a loving cocker spaniel with clear, tender eyes. When he looks at you, he really looks at you—as though he can see into your soul. When he first came to us, he was friendly but understandably gloomy. He was grieving. Yet somehow he seemed to know that Lark and I cared for him and Mutilda and understood something of their sadness.

Though Jeff loved to be patted, he did not want to be held. Mutilda loved to be held but not her brother.  I tried picking him up several times, but it was obvious that he wanted back on the floor. Every day, however, he seems a little happier than the day before. He loves his new backyard, walks around the neighborhood, and rides in the car. Now he often sports a wide smile.

This morning, after I gave him his treats, he suddenly jumped up and placed both paws on my knees. Then he looked directly into my eyes. Was he asking to be picked up and held? To find out, I lifted him into my arms and sat down with him. Jeff relaxed against me in my lap. After a moment, he raised his head and licked my chin. He never asked to get down.

I believe Jeff now knows that he is truly home.

And there was my gift. Jeff’s journey reminded me of something I too easily forget: being held is a need of the soul. There are times when I become so busy and derailed by my fixations that I forget I need to be held. I forget the sacred realization that I am a child of the Divine—that I am cared for, known, and loved.

Like Jeff, sometimes I choose to remain on the floor. I stay there among my plans, responsibilities, worries, fears, and illusions of self-sufficiency. I subconsciously convince myself that I can manage everything on my own. Then something happens… And suddenly I want to be held. No—I need to be held.

I believe that one of the deepest acts of faith is allowing ourselves to be picked up from the floor of our own self-sufficiency and accepting the love that has been waiting for us all along. I am welcomed into the lap of God even more completely than I welcome Jeff into mine. What a gift to have been so lovingly reminded, on a morning when I especially needed it, that I do not have to carry everything alone. I am held.

Spiritual Practice‍ ‍

Today, be attentive to the sacred realizations that come to you through ordinary moments. What might life be trying to say to your soul? List them as they occur. You might make a collage of these realizations so that their messages remain visible to you. For inspiration, explore ICB’s Diane Wood’s SoulCollage® work at https://soulcollage.com.

Inquiry‍ ‍

What happens inside you when you allow yourself to be held by the Divine? What might make it difficult to surrender your self-sufficiency and receive that love? What might make it easy? 

Prayer‍ ‍

Dear God,

Thank You for the amazing gift of Jeff. In his simple request, he reminded me of the power of a simple request and the comfort of being held by You. Let his gift hold me all day long and beyond.

Amen