Here she is...Izzy (short for Isabella). Pardon my English, but Ain't she pretty? She is a hound/Pitt Bull mix which means that she can sniff you out and when she finds you....well, she can just chew you up! As most of you know, that is the reputation for the Pitt Bull breed. They are supposed to be mean, aggressive man eaters! Sorry, but that's not Izzy.
(unless you're a burglar :-)
When Izzy meets you she instinctively runs up to you as fast as she can, then with all the energy she can muster she leaps up at you as she begins her dog dance! Her doggy dance consist of a few precise moves. Frantically she keeps alternating back and forth between her leaps, licks, and spins. She can spring up off of all four of her feet simultaneously while rising up into the air to get within inches of your face! You gotta be careful here because her big old tongue tries desperately to get to your mouth! After a few minutes when she finally begins to settle down a little, she then begins to lick at your hand in an attempt to keep your attention as best she can. I promise, the licks would never stop unless you make her get away. To say the least Izzy is one sweet loving dog.
As sweet as she is, Izzy does have one slight problem...actually it is a major problem that I have tried desperately to solve, but I'm sorry to say it has been without much success. You see...Izzy is a runner! This girl will run away at the drop of a hat...or maybe I should say at the drop of her leash! She knows no boundaries at all, so once she is loose there is absolutely no telling where she will go or if she will find her way back. We keep her in the house most of the time but as everyone knows there are critical times where the outside is a necessity! And... since we do not have a suitable fence to keep her from roaming outside, we simply use a cable system that allows her to run in our back yard, how be-it there is only a limited area available for her running before she is yanked back to reality by the unforgiving cable! I'll bet she would love to just bite it!
At first we connected the running cable to her collar...well she pulled that off over her head with little effort and off she went! Next we placed a nice red body harness on her and connected the cable to that...again she thought it through and figured out how to wrap herself around a post in order to pull herself backwards until she finally became free of the restraint... and yep, off she went again! So I finally had a brain storm....I thought to myself..."Self...I'll put a clamp style stop on the cable in order to keep her from reaching the post. She can't use the post for leverage against her harness and that will fix the problem" Am I smart or what?...NOT! Once again she found a way to simply put herself in reverse long enough and hard enough until the harness came off! I've tried verbal abuse, whippings, chokers attached to the body harness, and she still wants to be free to roam. I have found her on the street and even a half a mile away on the hill at Lane's Funeral Home. When I arrived, there she was standing in the parking lot while offering her condolences I guess. To beat it all she did that after crossing a busy four lane highway. It looked like she was headed further south big time! No food, no water, no clothes, no bags! Little did she know how close she came to needing funeral home services herself. If there had been just one car in the wrong place well...oooooh!
So whats the problem? I pet her, feed her, play with her, protect her, wash her, and tell her that I love her and that she is a good dog (okay not always the good dog part). Why can't she be like other dogs and just lay on my big front porch. I wonder why in Heaven's name she can't see that I do everything for her good, including the punishment. All of it is for her own good and for her protection? I want her happy, healthy, useful, and alive! I'm not looking for a robot, but I do want a good relationship with her!
I guess I'll never know the answer to the questions above, so all I can do is hope that one day she will realize that her freedom can only be obtained by trusting and obeying her master...of course that would be me.
You know, it kind of reminds me of the way we are when it comes to God. We don't want his restraints or so called restrictions because we naturally want to run free on our own. So we pull and push and growl and go backwards trying to get loose from His control. Sometimes we do manage to get free like the prodigal son in the Bible only to find out later that we are in a real mess. I've done it over and over again with the same disastrous results. But then...because I know who my Master is... and I know how He is always waiting for me to come to my senses and back to Him, I finally return to the place that I know is home, a place where forgiveness and love are. Before I even get to the door I know that my Master is running to meet me with His loving arms open! He has always been there for the asking, but I keep forgetting for some reason. Sadly, I'll most likely try something stupid again in the future because that is my human nature to go my own way. Forest Gump always said "Stupid is as Stupid does" and honestly that just about describes the way I act at times until I get deep enough into the pit of despair.
So how about you? Are you fighting the one that loves you more than Heaven and Earth? The one that wants to help you through the tough times of this life? The one that stretched out his arms for you on the cross? I guess a more serious question would be...who really is your master? The Christian life is not always easy and glorious as some try to make it seem. Some have lost everything and even today in this world some have lost their very lives because they stood for Jesus. Another thing..I do not give Izzy every thing she wants just because she acts cute and begs me for it. I give her what I know she needs and I throw in a few treats along the way. Likewise, Christianity is not a "name it and claim it" deal either from the rich God above. Just ask those that are believers but yet they are homeless, or sick and dying. Satan brought sin into the world and no matter how we may want to cover up its effects on our lives and say we have conquered it all, it is still part of life...yes at times it even affects believers. If you think not, where are the faith healers from the 1800's? Everyone will pass from this Earth if the Lord tarries His return...regardless of how strong your faith. That is a real effect of sin on each of us.
However, when you are walking close to your Master you know that no matter what happens He is there and He is with you. Actually, some say God is their Master when in reality they have no relationship...sadly He doesn't know them because what they have is a superficial relationship. You and you alone need to realize your need for the Master. When you acknowledge Him and truly allow His control of your life, then He will not only be your Master and Lord, but you find that He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. I can almost guarantee that you will mess up every now and then along the way, but He knows that in advance and loves you still. Stick with Him and keep asking for His forgiveness and guidance. This Master that loves you will see you through.
Okay...now all you Izzy's...Sit, Roll Over, Bark! (sorry I had to do that. Its just my human side coming out!) so I'll stop now with this. Maybe you should just ask God to be your real Master and ask for His help in controlling the "Izzy nature" that is within you. You'll find the peace that you were looking for and a purpose for life much easier than your pulling away ever will.
Shoot...I think I have fleas! :-)
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