As I was walking with a friend this morning the subject of my dog, Benjamin's, training came up. She said, "I can see why you wanted him with you so bad. He's a really good dog."
I laughed and said, "Yes. With a good sense of humor too." I told her how I'd trained dogs before, but with Ben, I decided to train him with love. "You see, he will get off our favorite chair so I can sit, just because he loves me that much. Or when the dogs in our neighborhood started jumping their fences, Ben did too. The difference was when I went in the backyard, I'd call him and he'd jump back over to meet me while the other owners had to chase their dogs back in."
I thought of the last time it was tested. At the vet, Ben was getting shots. Dad was holding him, but Ben would still struggle to get out. Then we had me hold him down while Dad helped the vet look at his teeth and give him two more shots. As soon as I held him, I talked softly into his neck and wrapped my arms around him in a loose hug. He didn't move, though he was experiencing something terrible that he had no previous reference for. But since he knew I loved him with all my heart and only wanted the best for him always, he fought the panic and simply obeyed me and listened to my voice.
Later this morning, I was praying. Talking to God about these changes with the surgery and all the fears that have cropped up from the accident. I told Him that I didn't understand why and I had no previous reference for dealing with all this. But I also said I trusted Him and knew that He always wanted the best for me. And I sang, "So I will be still and know You are God."
The connection hit me after the prayer and I smiled. You know what that means? I was trained, not simply with obedience, but rather, with love. Trained with love. It means that even when I do wrong, He calls me and I come running back to Him. It means that when I put myself on our favorite chair (His throne) then I will empty it only for Him because I love Him just that much. It means that when I'm scared, He wraps His arms around me in a loose hug and speaks to me. And since I love Him, I will be still and listen to His voice.
