Lessons from Sophie

I'm always amazed how God blesses us even when we don't ask for it, and how He does it in ways we never would have expected. I was extremely blessed to dog sit this weekend for my brother and sister-in-law and I was surprised to find how much I needed the companionship of a dog in my life right now. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Sophie had much to teach me about my walk with my Father.  So lesson number one from my puppy friend...

Have you ever played fetch with a dog? I tried this weekend and ran into a unique problem. While Sophie desperately wanted me to play with her, she refused to let the ball go. She held it tightly in her mouth, moving back and forth zig-zagging so I couldn't take it from her. I wanted to throw it for her! But without her letting it go, I couldn't let indulge her to have the pleasure that she was looking for. "Sophie, I can't throw it for you if you don't let it go!" No sooner were the words out of my mouth than the realization hit me over the head. This is exactly what it's like when we're holding onto something that God wants to give us. Often we need to let whatever it is that we so desperately want go, before our Father can grant it to us. Complete and utter surrender of everything in our life is the only way to find true joy! That joy won't come from getting what we want either, but from learning to trust. Surrender is the truest demonstration of trust. 

Sophie's lesson number 2...

I walked with Sophie this weekend and found that I was constantly having to pull on her leash to keep her from dragging me wherever she wanted to go. I was giving her a fair amount of free range but not as much as she wanted to take. We use a "choke collar." It sits comfortably unless tension is applied. Before long, she began to pant and cough as she pulled at her leash. Repeatedly I would say, "You know if you just stayed closer to me, the walk would be much easier." And then again, it hit me over the head! So simple, and easy for me to understand. We go through the path of life straining against the boundaries, pushing the limits, testing to see just how far we can go. But our walk would be so much easier if we just stayed close to the One who leads us, allowing Him to lead us. When we go through life trying to lead the way, it's stressful and difficult. But if we allow ourselves to be led, the walk instantly becomes much easier. The pressure is taken off, because we are no longer pulling but following. And that, my friends, is how the walk was intended to be. 

Sophie's third and final lesson...

While we were walking, Sophie pulled this way and that, trying to go wherever she pleased. There were so many distractions, flies and groundhogs, and people and other dogs! New smells, green grass and bubbling brooks! She wanted to run and chase things and try new places and it was hard for her to wait as I walked with her, keeping her on a leash. Keeping her from what she wanted to do. But it wasn't the right time. There were people around and it was necessary for her safety and others' to keep her on a leash. But I had a plan, I had been to this particular park before and knew of place where she could run freely. However, in order to get her there, she had to spend time not understanding why I was keeping her from doing what she wanted. So frequently this parallels our relationship with the Lord. We go through life certain that we know what we want and where we are going. And we become impatient and angry when something stands in our way. That's because we don't see the whole picture. We don't see all the dangers or understand why God is leading us in a way the seems to keep us from reaching our full potential. Yet, if we only knew what He knows, we would understand that He is leading us to a place of true joy and the utmost fulfillment. His plan made complete in us, something better than we could have ever dreamed of.

I hope you have learned from Sophie today as I have, and remember that surrendering our desires, allowing Him to lead us, and trusting in His timing and plan, will make our walk with our Father more fulfilling than anything else.