Photographs (Ann)

I have never been one to take pictures of myself but I have been avoiding it even more so for a while now. I have been feeling so drained in every aspect lately and I know that it will come out in photos. I don't want to have those memories of myself. A few weeks ago, I found myself feeling particularly sad but decided to go out with a friend and his wife for a belated birthday celebration in Sherwood Gardens. This was Nala's first outing in her harness in a year and she was so excited and happy--she met other dogs, a little girl came over to pet her, and several people commented on how beautiful she is. Nala was practically glowing while we walked through the park! At one point, when we were walking through the park, we met an older woman with a service dog. Her dog came over to say "hi" to Nala and the two dogs happily played for a minute before returning to "work." The woman commented that it's important for service dogs to have play time, too--what a holy moment for me! I have been so caught up in the "work" of my life lately that I've missed the "play." I often feel guilty for spending any time at "play" that could be used for a seemingly more productive purpose. However, even God rested on the seventh day and He rejoices with us when we play and rest. I could see it in Nala's face when we walked through that park and she was able to spend some time "playing"--that glow was contagious! As I looked through the photos later that evening, I saw that I had caught that glow while enjoying that time with Nala. My friend's wife had commented on how beautiful my smile was in the photos and, as I looked at the photos, I had to agree. Thank God for such a beautiful holy moment encouraging me to "play" (and thank God for continuing to reach my heart through my amazing angel of a service dog)!