Obedience simply protects us

Pr. 9:11:  “For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

For the 1st time in 4 weeks my house is calm and quiet at 5:45 a.m.  4 weeks ago we brought a puppy into our family.  When we got up in the morning, he wanted to be up, too.  Our calm mornings turned to playful chaos, as he required much attention.

Yesterday, our puppy died.  This morning the house is silent.  There was much sadness and mourning yesterday, and some sadness and pain will remain for a while.

Last night as we comforted the kids before bed, I couldn’t help but begin writing my blog in my head.  My daughter was in charge of the puppy when the accident took place, and is therefore blaming herself for his death.  Her heart is very broken and she is carrying a heavy weight of guilt.

The fact of the matter is that the puppy was being disobedient.  Yesterday, while I typed my blog inside, my daughter took him outside to potty.  I heard a commotion and when I walked outside, I saw that he and his leash had gotten away from her and she was trying to get him to obey and come back to her.  He would not.  It was during the commotion caused by his disobedience that the accident took place.

It reminds me of us.  When we go places we shouldn’t, and do things we know we shouldn’t do, it causes commotion and sometimes we are harmed.  Lots of people have died doing something they knew they shouldn’t be doing.  I have been harmed more than once when making a decision to do something or go somewhere I knew I shouldn’t.

Sometimes we think that our actions are isolated to ourselves, but that is just not the case.  When we are disobedient, the effects reach others around us.  The puppy’s disobedience affected my daughter as she tried to take proper care of him.  The puppy’s disobedience affected me, as I tried to help her get him to obey.

And then the accident…I knew right away that he was not ok.  We rushed him to the hospital, but he died several hours later.  The entire situation set the course for our day.  It affected us, as we dropped everything and rushed him to the hospital.  It affected my husband, as he rushed over to be with us.  It affected my parents, whose hearts went out to us, as they rushed over to offer comfort.  It affected the family and friends we text for prayers, as their hearts were touched and they prayed for us all.  We spent 4 1/2 hours, and a good amount of money trying to support this puppy who had made a bad choice and was now in a life or death situation.  After he died, we spent the rest of the day mourning, burying, and comforting.  Our entire day was shaped by 1 act of disobedience.

Today my daughter will wake up with the same guilt and blame taunting her innocent mind.  Her world has changed forever…all because the puppy chose to disobey.

When we make a choice to do something we know we shouldn’t, it can bring us much harm, possibly even death; and admit it or not, it affects those around us.  We will never be perfect; however, we can do our best to understand that most disciplines are for our own good.

Our parents didn’t give us rules to make us having boring lives.  They were striving to protect us from harm.  The Lord, likewise, doesn’t say, “thou shalt not steal” to make sure we can’t have what we want.  He is trying to protect us, and those around us, from the consequences of coveting and stealing.

Honoring our parents brings long life.  Dishonoring them can set a course in motion like the one our puppy set forth yesterday.  It’s all about keeping us wise and keeping us safe.  God love us dearly and wants the very best for us.  He gives us all that we need, and more, to have a whole life.  If we would just stop fighting, struggling, and rebelling against Him, we, and those around us, would all benefit.

A little long today, sorry, but I felt the application was worth noting.  I pray the Holy Spirit will turn my plethora of words into something inspiring.

Listening for the Holy Spirit’s to lead me onto right paths today, and praying you’ll do the same,

jamie

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