We have been dog-sitting my brother-in-law’s dog. Since he’s not a person, I am going to use his real name; his identity doesn’t need to be protected. His name is Donnie. Actually, his real name is Adonis, but everyone calls him Donnie. Honestly, I sometimes call him Donald, just because he seems more like a Donald to me.
Donnie is a big dog, really big. He’s part lab and part Burmese mountain dog, and he’s a big, lovable mutt. He’s a pretty reddish brown, and he has some white on his nose. The base of his tail is about as big around as a baseball, maybe even a softball, so when he wags that tail, watch out! If he’s near anything breakable, it’s broken!
Fetching a tennis ball is one of Donnie’s favorite things to do, and he’s great at it! He also loves to take walks, but it is really not an easy task to take Donnie for a walk. In fact, if you’re the one holding the leash, Donnie takes you for a walk!
Tonight, my older son and I took Donnie on a short walk, and my son volunteered to hold his leash for the first ½ or ¾ of the walk as he knows I probably can’t quite handle Donnie’s pulling. I tried tonight for a bit, but I ended up running, and this fifty-year-old is not a runner! Towards the end of the walk, I took the leash, and we were doing well until Donnie saw a bunny, and I thought he was going to rip my arm out of the socket! I yelled, “no,” and I planted my feet firmly, and Donnie did stop, but it took about everything I had in me to keep from being drug through our neighbor’s yard!
Now, my son and I talk about this every time we take Donnie for a walk. Why does Donnie pull so hard on the leash? It causes him to not be able to breath well, and it sure doesn’t look comfortable. If he would just “heel” and walk next to us, he wouldn’t have to strain against the leash, and the collar wouldn’t choke him. But until he tires out, he tugs on that leash like he has an appointment he’s late for.
So, why is the dog so stubborn? Why doesn’t he listen to us when we firmly pull on the leash and say, “heel”? He knows that it is more comfortable for him physically when he’s not pulling ahead of us, but he just doesn’t listen.
This sounds a little bit like me. When I have an idea about how something should be done, sometimes I just run ahead stubbornly, not listening to God. Sometimes I even continue barreling forward in a certain direction when God makes it clear that I should slow down or maybe even switch directions. I can be just like Donnie! How frustrating that must be for God!
Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” I just need to listen to God’s voice! He is there to guide me and show me the best path for my life.
Thank you, Lord, for guiding me! I will try my best to be a better listener and to be less stubborn!
Here are a couple of pictures of Donnie! Isn't he cute?
Thanks for reading, friends!
Love,
Julie
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