Now this George is a little dog, not a monkey, but like us you may be forgiven if you think he is “a little monkey” at times. As many small little dogs, he is very happy and out-going in nature and by nature too!
The little blighter is always looking for a way to escape his yard and wander the streets as a free spirit, which dog collectors and His Mistress, all frown upon. No matter to George. Give him half a way and he will do the rest. This is the second time we have had them (George and Charlie, the other daughter’s dog) around. The first time was when we took them to the Groomer's. Well that time, they both managed to get out but fortunately didn’t go too far.
So this time I barricaded under the gate where they got out and was sure they wouldn’t again. Well not there anyway!
So on Christmas morning, the two dogs were in the yard when suddenly our first-born decided to check on George, as she couldn’t see him. She could see Charlie but not George. Before very long she was back inside saying, “Dad, I thought you said George couldn’t get out!” Meaning he had!
Sure enough he had and after getting him back inside I found where he had pushed aside what had looked like a solid post and removed some Plastic edging about 6”(15cm) high and about 16 feet (5 metres) long, and left it on the outside.
For a while I was mystified on why he had got it outside and why it had tooth marks all along it. By my reckoning he should have been able to have gone over the top of it without having to move it, and if he had to move it, he would/should have only had to move the end near his gap, to get out.
A real mystery for a while and then suddenly the “Penny Dropped”! He didn’t do that to get out.
He did that trying to get back in! Having got out, he obviously decided it wasn’t much fun without Charlie and so tried to get back in and so, having got over the obstacle easily one way, found it difficult to get back in from the low side and so at great effort, pulled it all out to the outside, explaining how it got there and how it had tooth marks all along it. Yet he still couldn’t get back in without my daughter going out and bringing him back in.
As I thought about it I wondered how often we do a similar thing. How often do we fight against the barriers and boundaries imposed on us? How much time and effort do we put it to fight through these boundaries, only to find that the “Grass on the other side is no Greener” or Better? Then try and find our way back to the right side of the fence, only to find, like George, that despite our efforts it is not possible, with out Help.
As a Christian I believe that, that Help came in the form of Christ at Christmas time, to enable us to get back on the right side of the fence.
However, no matter what you believe, as you approach this new year will you just stop and re-evaluate where you are now and how well off you really are or aren’t, before trying to escape to something that you may later wish to escape again.
Instead of wasting all your energy and efforts trying to escape something without fully evaluating it first, try appreciating it first. Likewise try using your efforts and energies to improve where you are even more, rather than wasting your time and efforts in trying to escape, when it is not really necessary or beneficial in the long run.
No comments:
Post a Comment