Naughty Dog
By Lisa Boyer
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away…”
Acts 3:19a (NASB)
The other day, my boys missed the school bus and I took my Alaskan Malamute, Kaela, along for the ride to drop them off. She loves car rides so much we never need a leash to get her to or from the car…or so I thought.
When we got back home, I opened the car door so she could run to the house, but something in the field next door had caught her attention and she took off after it. My naughty dog returned home an hour later smelling less than lovely. I was already running late for work because of her, so I quickly locked her in the kennel instead of the house and rushed off to work. When I got home, I gave her the bath she so desperately needed - - lucky for me, it was a beautiful 50-degree January day (in Wisconsin, no less)!
However, smell and mud wasn’t all she came home with. Her journey into the 20-acre marsh behind our house left her with prickers imbedded in the fur on her tummy. As I worked to remove them, she gave me a warning growl and then snapped at me. I quickly set her straight and made her apologize (kiss my hand). I walked away thinking, I was only trying to help. Not more than ten minutes later, she approached me with this odd look on her face. She had figured out she couldn’t reach those prickers and needed my help. She humbly stood there as I removed one pricker after another.
I couldn’t be mad at her: not for running, not for returning smelly and muddy and full of prickers, and not for trying to protect herself during my first attempt to remove the prickers. I relate only too well to her behavior and you probably do, too….
We are following after God, but then take off running after something in life we shouldn’t. When we come to our senses, we return to God. He cleans and restores us, but often the consequences of our actions have left us wounded. Embarrassed, we try to deal with it ourselves and get defensive if God sends anyone to help. When we realize we can’t fix it alone, we humble ourselves and return to the Healer and allow Him to work.
Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Naughty dog…naughty daughter…same thing.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Have you been chasing after something in this life you shouldn’t? Will you come home to God with a heart of repentance today?
2. Is there someone in your life you should share this with?
FURTHER READING:
Luke 15:11-32; Psalm 51:2; 1 John 1:9
Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.
