One stick.
Two sticks.
Three sticks.
Oh, and look a leaf!
Ribby was definitely enjoying his walk. His puppy’s mouth was getting full, and his owner was getting full of frustration!
“Leave it,” his owner said each time he picked up a new object on their path. There were times Ribby let go when his owner said so, but there were also times when the owner just gave up and let him bring the stick along for a while, even though it could be slightly unsafe as they were walking.
Then there were times it took wiggling and prying open Ribby’s clenched jaws because there was a definite, unsafe item in his mouth that could really hurt him. Another strategy for getting those unsafe items was to entice Ribby with a treat in place of the piece of metal he had picked up.
Maybe there are times when we all are carrying too much, or we are clenching our jaws, so to speak, to things that are actually harmful to us, but we hold on for far too long. We cannot truly receive what God is offering us because our lives are too full, just as Ribby’s mouth was too full of sticks to take those treats. Ribby had to obviously let go of the sticks to get the treat his owner was trying to give him. As simple as that sounds in Ribby’s story, that is what we are called to do this Lenten season: let go of harmful distractions. When we let go of unhealthy practices or replace them with healthier ones, God can step in and give us more of His Plan. We can truly enjoy the ‘treats’ of God and thrive in what God has already planned for us.
For #Lent2026 I will be:
- Giving up my late-night snacks for more time with God.
- Social Media cutbacks: only scroll for 10 minutes Monday-Friday for work, and abstain fully on Saturday and Sunday.
- Add Christian books back into my daily learning alongside my daily scripture study.
With lots of faith and a lil’ fur 🐾
Melanie Drews
Paws on God’s Path
#lent2026
Paws on God's Path 
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