I informed a guest in our house that I was going for a walk. I would be gone about twenty-five minutes. I attempted this walk twice a day. I had recently had back surgery and the doctor recommended walking. This would also be my opportunity to do some praying and connecting with my Lord which is hard to do unless I have time alone.

My guest excitedly jumped up and asked, "Oh, could you please take Marilyn on your walk with you? She loves to walk." Marilyn was an exceedingly small dog; very small and very spoiled. I hesitated. I didn't want to take her, and my first mental response was to say, "no". However, how much harm could it do, right? So, I agreed.

I was shown a leash that would give the dog about fifteen feet of freedom and was told she loved the freedom of the full length of the leash. Hummm. We started off and before we got out of the driveway, she ran around my legs twice; nearly tripping me with the cord. I shortened the leash a bit. A free running neighborhood dog ran out into the road barking and growling at the overgrown rat I held on the line. Marilyn, ever friendly and completely oblivious to any danger, ran straight at the big dog who could have eaten her with one bite. I pulled her back and commanded the big dog to go home. He did not do so, but continued to follow us, barking and growling, as I drug Marilyn along behind me.

I shortened the leash until she had enough to walk about a yard in front or behind of me. She constantly ran, jerked the end of the leash, ran in a different direction only to stop with a jerk once again. Jerk, stop, run, jerk, stop, run, such energy for such a small dog!

With all of this going on, the only thing I could concentrate on was not getting tripped. I muttered a little at the gross lack of discipline of this animal. I thought how hard it is to like such crazy behavior. No awareness of cars on the road or even the larger animals that would love to just play or even eat her alive. She never noticed that I was on the other end of the leash. I could have easily been a robot, and about halfway through the walk, I wished I were a robot! I told myself that I was a stooge, a patsy, that I would never take this dog for a walk again. I like dogs, really, I do. I admire owners who love them enough to see they are trained and obedient and therefore a pleasure to be around. However, having been a schoolteacher for many years, I am not fond of allowing the behavior of one harming or disturbing the life of another.

I walked back toward home, being jerked to and fro all the way, and a thought occurred to me: “Was the Lord trying to speak to me something through the crazy behavior of this ridiculous animal?” Having just had back surgery, I was required to wear a large, heavy back brace. I was limited. I was not to bend, twist or lift anything over five pounds. I tried to discipline myself and conform to these rules set for me, but I had not always succeeded. Hummmm. I prayed, “Lord, through this current set of circumstances, You’ve had me on a ‘short leash’ as well, haven’t You?”

Even though I recognized that He was using this season of limitations as an opportunity to embrace a closer walk with Him, I could see so many ways in which I too was a “Marilyn”. In fact, looking back through the last twenty-five years of my life, I could see He has had to shorten my leash numerous times. As I learned to expect Him to lead me through the various trials in my life and developed a deeper faith and trust in Him, He would then let out the line a bit more to see if I had learned obedience to His guidance. Where I have learned to keep His Spirit’s living word, I have great freedom. Where I run and hit the end of the leash, being jerked back and flipping myself over, the leash stays short.

When I first experienced a “short leash”, I struggled against it. I pulled, twisted, ran and jerked. It took me some time to realize nothing I did on my own would lengthen the line that held me. I finally did make it home all in one piece with Marilyn. But even more important, I made it home with a gift of opened eyes. A lesson gifted to me by our God.

“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;

it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

 

As I mediated more on this vivid, living color parable, I realized that Marilyn, the little happy, energetic and undisciplined dog, had no idea where we were walking. On her own she would have exuberantly gone forth, innocent and foolish, getting soundly lost. She would have had a great time until danger hit, or she got hungry. She needed the leash to keep her safe and the more disobedient she was, the shorter the leash was required for her safety, as well as mine.

 

With the growing revelation this picture was producing, the more amazed I was by looking back at my own choices and behaviors after I received the Lord as my Savior. I can now confess the same foolishness even after receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I was ignorant of God’s ways and so independent that I thought I already knew it all. “I know, I know”, I repeated over and over at any correction given. Unteachable, I deceived myself with the “I knows”. I hardly knew anything of eternal value, but I did know many of the ways of the world. God allowed quite a long leash on me until I literally wore myself out. It took quite a few years for me to come into any real wisdom. I was a slow learner. I was stubborn and firmly grounded in the strongholds of my mind. However, each time I experienced the great limitations of a shortened leash, I learned a little more about obedience and self-discipline. I also began to pay attention and started to reap blessings resulting from keeping step with the Master who held the other end of the line.

 

I was learning that if I stopped running ahead, going in circles, energetically doing whatever there was to do whether or not it was mine to do, if I became aware and attentive to the One who not only knew my ways but also had carved out a better path for me, then I had a much better walk, a much better life! But the best part of all of this was that I no longer had to cover the same ground over and over again.

 

I think every new lesson started with a long leash which was shortened as needed, lengthened again as I learned. When I could be trusted to be attentive and obedient, the leash was unfastened all together. A gift of the Holy Spirit called “the fear of the Lord” kept me close to Him.

 

When our children were young, we had a black retriever that was happy just to be with us. He was really our son’s dog, however, we all loved Duke. No matter where I was in the yard, he followed me, sat down, and waited, just watching me do whatever it was I was doing. Dropping a ball on my foot was a major hint that he thought we should play. He never left our property unless invited. He whined to let us know when he needed to go out or when he wanted to come back inside. He loved to be loved. He always wanted to be close to one of the family. He was well disciplined, obedient and a delight to have in our midst.

 

In stark comparison with Marilyn’s manic obliviousness, Duke’s delightful obedience is what God is wanting to develop in His children. Waiting on Him, listening and obeying, being delighted to be with Him at work or in stillness – This behavior is what develops mere association into an intimate relationship. Becoming dependent on His presence and guidance blesses us with great peace and faith where we gladly listen to His voice and obey without mental muttering or griping, but with joy. This is how we learn to receive His love and rest in His care for us.  This is how we walk in His way, becoming as He is in the world in which we live. And this is how we rejoice in His presence, find contentment in simply being His which fulfills His joy as well as our own.

 

“For the eyes of the Lord search to and fro through the whole world

seeking those whose hearts would be fully His.”

2 Chronicles 16:9