Lessons from a Dog - Day 11

My precious "niece dogs" are staying with us this week. My favorite thing is to take them for a walk each morning. They adore me for it (especially as I'm the only one who does it!). They follow me around the house throughout the day in hopes that at any moment I'll get their leashes. They are the sweetest dogs God ever made, I'm pretty sure. (Not that I am biased!) This morning I took them for our regular special time together around the block and as I turned the corner to come back home I decided to run with them so they'd be extra pooped and ready to rest for the next several hours. First they ran along side of me, then they ran slightly behind me, then, without warning, Bella came to a full stop! I nearly fell and broke my neck! I turned immediately to see this dog with both front paws planted on the cement and her head down and pulling back against the leash.

This is a very sweet, obedient dog. I was shocked! It was as if she were saying, "Look, I'll sit when you tell me. I'll lay down when you tell me. I'll stay with you on the walk and not chase other dogs. But do NOT make me run anymore!" She was done. She was absolutely finished. She'd had it. After all, we've all got our limits.

I never thought of myself as a dog before but I saw myself in that moment. Oh, I pray to God like I'm supposed to. I'll give my 10%+ to the church. I'll donate toys to the poor. I'll even volunteer to help my church with this project or that but I've got my limits. God, don't ask me to do something I'm not willing to do! I'm tired. I'm busy. I've got plans.

I hand God control voluntarily just like Bella and Kahki bring me their leashes. They trust me to take them for a walk and bring them home safely. But the moment God asks me to do something outside of my comfort, my control, I put on the full stop. "God, you can't be serious. God, what's the five year plan on this thing? How's this going to turn out? Can't you see I'm just a human? What do you expect from me?"

God is clear in what he promises: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (Jn. 8:12) He promises other things too, like trouble, persecution, suffering...but, wow, he also promises we'll never walk in darkness. Not only will we NOT walk in darkness but we'll have the light of life! Not just any light, not fluorescent light, not candlelight, not sunlight - life light!

Are we willing to run when we're tired? Are we willing to leave God in control? Are we willing to submit our wills to his even when it's the opposite of what our flesh desires?

My prayer for FOM today is this:
"We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2 Cor. 6:3-10)
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Pray that we would be good stewards of the spiritual gifts God has given our church.
Consider fasting from one meal this weekend and pray for the people God wants to reach through FOM.
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Posted by Lisa Archinal