A Personal Parable

So, animal lovers, hold onto your hats, this is a strange one.  All turns out well in the end though, I promise, so don’t stop reading.

I was driving to work after picking up some groceries for a Food Science lab that would take place later that day at school. Weaving through the back streets of town I spied a pick up truck with three large dogs in the back bed ahead of me. Was one of them a St. Bernard? With some agile driving (I wasn’t speeding) I caught up to them and just as I craned my neck to see that third dog, which was indeed a St. Bernard, it jumped from the truck bed- dangling by it’s collar that was attached to the truck by a leash!

I know that is a terrible picture, but I promised you it would turn out ok and there is a purpose for telling you about it, so hang in there (no pun intended)! 

The poor dog was trying to at least get its’ back feet underneath him- but the vehicle, which was moving fairly slowly, was still moving too quickly for him to do so.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and immediately started yelling, “Stop!”, “Stop!”

Of course they couldn’t hear me so I pressed on the horn trying to get their attention. In a split second they came to a stop, doors opened on both sides of the vehicle and their eyes widened and mouths came open as they flew into action freeing the dog. The dog was fine and was placed inside the truck before they drove away with a wave of thanks.

This all happened within seconds but it took a couple hours for the adrenaline rush to pass. Even as I tell the story now it makes my heart pump faster thinking of what may have happened. I’m so thankful that I was close behind and they heard the horn. Of course, I was honking so insistently I probably awakened half the residents of the nursing home located near by!

Now I know that we could go into all kinds of discussions about the correct procedures in transporting animals*, and I’m sure the dog owners learned an important lesson that day, but there is still another reason to tell the story. The day it happened I was focused on the fact that it was cool to be in the right place at the right time to help.  But God is efficient and creative, so more people than just the dogs’ owners were going to learn from the incident.

The next morning my quiet time was spent in Romans 12 and the Spirit was whispering about the importance of maintaining a position of humility before God. “In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” The following verses point out that the fruit of this spiritual act of worship is a personal transformation, a paradigm shift. In this transformation the mind is renewed, one is able to enter into the wisdom and will of God, to belong to the body of Christ and to use their gifts just to get the list started.

“Sounds great, God. I’m in! I want transformation!” I thought.

“Then stay put in the back of My pickup truck.”

The words just dropped into my mind as clear as a bell in response. It took a minute to make sense of it, Romans doesn’t talk about trucks of course.

“Wait… God, are you connecting me to that poor dog that jumped from the truck yesterday? That event wasn’t just about being in the right place at the right time to save the dog? It was also a spiritual picture for me? Lord, what do you want to say to me about offering myself to You?”

The mental image of the dog was not a flattering one as a comparison to a position of humility and my personal training in obedience and trust in God. This picture parable connection came completely out of the blue and it was uncomfortable to ponder the consequences of being disobedient like that poor St. Bernard pup.

“I know where I’m going. Even if the leash is longer and the truck slows down, stay in My truck. Your Master knows the big plan and you are being trained to move in My will. Don’t jump until I give the signal. Whether you jump prematurely out of fear or out of excitement to get going it will still leave you dangling on the leash with the truck still moving. Listen for my voice. Stay still and ready even in the emotional discomfort of the training circumstances. Abide with me. Fix your eyes on Me.  Let the training process do its’ deep work in you to prepare you for what we will be doing soon.”

“Feel the emotion inside. You want to jump. Breath deeply and look for Me, your Master. The feeling will pass and you will grow in your trust of Me. I am trustworthy and I promise you that your training will have good fruit. It is for your good and so that you will be prepared for your purpose. Trust Me, stay in the back of My truck.”

Are you in uncomfortable circumstances? Are you being challenged to stay in a position of humility and be obedient to the Master? Are you feeling like you could bust and are wanting to jump from the back of the Lord’s truck? Obviously, I feel that way at times.

Breath deeply, still yourself inside, envision yourself in your circumstances and ask God where He is in the picture. When you can picture Him there in your mind’s eye, fix your eyes on Him and ask Him, “What do you want to tell me about ____?” (You fill in your circumstances.) Get out your journal, and write what He does and what He tells you.

What do you hear from your Master? (If you share perhaps it will be a topic for a future post and drawing!)

Lord, thank You that You that You are a gentle and good Master. Thank You that You have our well being in mind as You train us in obedience so that we can walk humbly with You and join You in Your work in the world. Reveal Your will to us and help us to trust that You have a purpose in all things and will reveal what we need to know in the right time. Until then we fix our eyes on you in devotion and trust.

Romans 12:1-7

*For information on how to safely transport a dog in the back of a pick up truck see:http://www.ehow.com/how_5598573_transport-dog-truck-bed.html