A Narrow Escape

So my dog is determined to drag me into trouble.  This week, I took my very large Weimaraner out for his daily business (He needed to potty). Because he's a little stinker, he always flops on the ground and rolls in the sun.  However, this particular time, as he rolled, the lease unclipped.  There was a moment where he looked at the leash clip in my hand and then at me.  I saw his eyes narrow.  I knew what he was going to do.  As I yelled, "Noooo!!!!" and dived after him in slow motion, he turned and ran for the road.  I grabbed at him, but came away empty-handed.  He was a brown streak across the lawn.  I ran into the house screaming for my teenage son to come help me.  My dog loves to go for rides in the car, so I wanted to grab my car keys.  Suddenly it hit me, my daughter had driven my car to work.  The only car available to me was my 6' 7" son's car.  The seat is stuck as far back as it can go.  This means I can't even reach the pedals in his car.  It was my only shot, so I grabbed every key I could find hoping one would fit his car.  My son came pounding out of the house in big, heavy muck boots.  I looked at his boots, rolled  my eyes, and jumped in the car.  As I stretched as far as I could to press the tip of the gas pedal, I could barely see over the steering wheel.  I looked like a little, old lady trying to drive when I peeled out of the drive-way.  We drove 3 houses down and found my dog sniffing the carport of a house that is currently on the market for sale.  I stopped at the house's drive-way and slowly opened the back door so as not to spook him.  I began to sing-song "Ride?  Go for a ride?"  He looked at me and then turned and looked at the house.  That is when I noticed the door to the empty house was open!  Oh no!!  I began to stutter, "NNNNoooo.  Ddon't ggo there!"  Once again, he looked at me and began to disappear into the empty house for sale.  I could just picture getting arrested for trespassing.  I could hear my statement, "I was just following my dog, officer."  Thankfully, after going half-way into the house, he turned and walked out of the door.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  My son clomped over, and we led my dog back to the car as he grinned the whole way.
     I can't tell you how frustrating it is when my dog decides to go his own path instead of obeying me.  He thinks it's the best way for him, but I know his way will lead to hunger, loneliness, and possibly pain, so I intercede.  This makes me realize that we do the same thing with God.  Instead of just obeying a Heavenly Father who knows every scenario and only wants the best for us, we try to strike out on our own way.  Usually, without obeying God, it leads to spiritual hunger, loneliness, and sometimes emotional pain.  Wouldn't it be so much better if we trusted the One who created the Heavens to guide us?  Instead of seeing God's hand as a restraining leash that we must escape, we should see it as a guiding force to keep us in the center of true joy.

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!