Susan: We decided to make “Angels and Adventures” the inspirational motto for our pilgrimage in Spain. So angels, as we define them, are the people, places, situations, songs, art or even animals that surfaced at just the right time to remind us that God was with us and speaking to us. This idea of “Angels and Adventures” helps us to be watchful and listening.
One of our constant and most comforting angels has been Santiago, the yellow-haired, brown-eyed shepherding dog who leads us on daily adventures. Santi belongs to the owners of the house we are staying in. When I asked our friend Earlene, fellow pilgrim for the first three weeks of our pilgrimage, what she was missing most about Spain, she said “walking Santi” was one of the top three things that stood out to her. How can a dog have that much impact on our lives except that he truly is one of our angels?!
Susie and Santi Angel
Walking Santi, our adopted dog in Spain, has become a form of prayer for me. In that window of time outdoors, I’m catering to the needs of one of God’s creatures and seeing the world through his eyes. I’m taking time to appreciate the beauty around me because there are lots of starts and stops to smell things as I notice the pink hydrangea-like flowers that hang from a tree, and the soft purple flowers that flock next to the green sage, and then, we have been fortunate enough to witness bursting pink and white blossoms on the almond trees. (They only bloom for two weeks, according to a guide we had). In the wide open field where we sometimes let Santi off leash so he can explore the woods and chase bunnies, I feast my eyes on the vast expanse of the lush green countryside, the city of Malaga off to the west, and the layers of blue mountain ranges farther in the distance to the southeast of us. When the air is still, I can smell the pungent sage and almond blossoms.
All of these beautiful sights and smells in nature along with a deep feeling of love and tranquility settle into my being as I watch Santi romp in unbridled happiness are complements of a four-footed furry animal who has ushered me into his own welcoming and joyful sanctuary.
Thank you, Santi, my angel on our Spanish pilgrimage!
Jon: I have never had a dog. Dog-care routines are a key part of helping me to grow in a much needed body connection for this Enneagram Type 3. As we care for our friends’ dog Santiago, my somatic grounding grows through twice-to-thrice daily walks, dog-baths, good-night dog-crating rituals and more. Those of you who have dogs know and appreciate this. It’s all new to me.
I have been particularly moved by all the ways Santi nudges me God-ward:
- He reminds me of the oneness of my marriage: he is rather insistent that both my wife and I take him on walks. Whoever has the leash can’t be too far ahead or behind as he will sit down and wait or pull one of us on ahead.
- He reminds me of the importance of sharing: during meals he stares up quietly and expectantly at us as we eat. Very quickly, that deep brown-eyed puppy-dog gaze becomes impossible to resist!
- He reminds me of my belovedness: he wags his tail vigorously when I enter the room and elicits from me a pet, a belly rub or a deep eye-to-eye gaze. Ah, the reciprocity of true love!
As Fr. Richard Rohr reminds us,
When we are comfortable in our true identity, we will finally be unable to resist such overwhelming love. (Some saints said even the devil would be unable to resist it in the end.) So don’t fight it, resist it, or deny it now. Love will always win.
Richard Rohr, CAC Devotional Feb. 21, 2020
Like Susie, I find Santiago is truly that angel shepherding me toward my True Self!
Featured Image: Real angel sighting at the Royal Place in Madrid 2/24/2020
YOUR TOOLKIT: Whatever our experience of race, if we have unresolved pain or color-blindness or other forms of denial, it will either have been transformed or it will be transmitted. I encourage you to take some time to journal about your sense of racial identity or lack thereof. Is there a part of Jon’s story you resonate with? What have your BIPOC experiences or relationships been like? How is that similar to or different from others you grew up with? What would you want to leave behind or see transformed from your past? What one thing is yours to do going forward?
