Walks with Ollie: Lessons on the Leash

By Aleta Harris

You are invited to enjoy some unforgettable walks with this playful, inquisitive Shih Tzu and, in the delightful process, discover a renewed focus on life and faith. You’ll chuckle at Ollie’s antics and suddenly realize you are identifying with his serendipitous discoveries in the neighborhood this happy boy calls home.

Ollie, in his carefree daily treks, reveals to us that God resides even in the mundane. Set aside the concerns of your day, look a little closer, and you’ll find Him there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781639037155

Aleta Harris

Alissa Harris is from the Deep South and was brought up under the Old Testament law in a Sabbath keeping church. That experience shaped her passionate acceptance and vision of God’s grace in a way that is uniquely faith focused with genuine compassion. She is an alumna of Florida International University and is married to her college sweetheart. She makes her home in Florida and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Distractions

As we turn left out of the driveway, Ollie steps onto his private pathway. In reality, it is the white line painted to designate the road’s edge, but Ollie has adopted it as his personal walking track. Quite agile in navigating the narrow strip for the half block before we turn left or right onto a side street, he loses his focus when the narrow white walking track disappears. He reminds me of the easily distracted Dory, the unforgettable character from the animated movie Finding Nemo. Captivated by sniff-worthy smells on one side of the road and then instantly drawn to something on the opposite side, Ollie darts like an excited squirrel side to side, oblivious of traffic dangers. The challenge to train him to walk on only one side of the road in either direction is ongoing. That white line seems to give him the necessary focus and me less concern for his safety.

Our connection to God through His Word is much akin to the white line that keeps Ollie more directed. Neglecting to spend time focusing on the guidance He provides in His Word, we are distracted by things that will divert us from the path He has for us and are drawn into dangerous places.

Today, I will stay focused on the well-marked path, grateful that God is beside me.

It is going to be a great day because God has made it so.

Pesky Nettles

Ollie generally manages to bring unwanted things home with him from our walks. Intense curiosity compels him to impulsively push his happy face into bushes and thickets, oblivious and uncaring of the number of burrs and thistles he is collecting. He then stops and lets me immediately remove any sandspurs since they can be painful and interfere with the pleasure of the walk. But the Spanish nettles are the worst. With tiny sharp prongs on the end of their thin black wands, they adhere to his thick hair and seem to, as he walks, bury themselves deep. We have to do a full inspection on our arrival home and remove them promptly since, left unattended, they form ugly knots that cause him frustration and us tedious work. Ollie is not always cooperative with the removal process but finally surrenders to the comb and the hands that hold it.

We sometimes pick up unwanted things on our daily journey. If we are not attentive to the source, a negative thought or attitude will subtly embed itself in our head or heart. Left unattended, it winds itself deep, creating ugly knots that are unattractive and can cause pain to us and others.

Grateful for God’s Spirit that calls us to awareness, we can avoid the places where those pesky nettles hide and remove the ones that try to adhere themselves to us.

Today, I will, with God’s help, be watching for those nettles of negativity.

It is going to be a great day because God has made it so.

The Gift of Friends

If you want to meet your neighbors, get a dog and start walking in your neighborhood. Ollie has opened the door to the