She’s black and tan. The color pattern is a perfect reverse from the well known Black Mouth Cur. She is tan where they are black and black where they are tan.
And her name… Well, we all call her “That black jip that came from Jason Enick”
Seriously?
Yep, every time she comes up in conversation, that’s her name. We don’t know her well enough to name her. She doesn’t hang around the main pens here at the ranch, and she is never at the dog pens either. Her home is with the horses. The remuda horses stay in what we call the house pasture. It’s the pasture where my grandfather’s house was built and where they still live to this day. The horses are sometimes found on the South end of the pasture by HWY 202. Sometimes they are back by the dump, or around the dog pens, or over by the hay barn. Where they are, that’s where she is. She never runs with the other dogs unless she is working cattle.
And she is GOOD at working cattle. She goes to them hard, and calls off easy. She loads. But only if you start to load the horses. There’s no use in trying to catch her. You’ll just waste your time and hers. When you pen the horses she comes too. And she loads when they load.
It’s odd, but I promise you she is confident in her circumstance. She will allow you to be very close to her. But try to pet her and you’ll find out just how confident in her decision to be “human free” she really is.
She knows where she fits in this world. Her ‘friends and family’ may think she’s crazy. 
But anyone who knows her, knows where to find her.
One of the recent readings reminded me of this interesting dog down at the ranch. Part of the reading read:
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
The popular sermon regarding this reading about Jesus learning his strengths and staying behind in the temple usually revolves around the idea that we should strive to get to know Jesus better. Or, take the reading as an opportunity to think of ourselves less and consider the position of others more.
However, I propose that it’s a chance for us to look within ourselves. I’ve been involved in many conversations that deal with the direction of an individuals life. I’m not sure why I seem to be a target for such conversation, but I consider it an honor to discuss such things. I wish this scripture had come to me before now. This is why… No one can answer the question regarding your path in this life other than you. And you can’t do it without God. And the only way you can know it’s right is if you know who He made you to be.
What makes you… you?
Who is it that you truly believe God made you to be? Don’t you dare get negative and start thinking about why you’re not there yet. Just consider the passions with which He blessed you – the skills He saw fit to grant you in your daily life. What are they?
Where would a person with those passions, that skill-set be found?
Are you there?
The Pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.
