Fences

Our culture tells us to "do what feels good". "As long as it makes you happy" has become a mantra many use to justify all sorts of things. And the problem with this is my dog.

Yes, my dog.

You see, we rescued our dog from a shelter. We brought her into our home and have loved her (ridiculously so) for years. With us, her masters, she has never wanted for anything. We have put fences around the backyard - limits, boundaries - setting where she can go and where she cannot. This fence is for her own good. For her protection.

In her little mind, however, these boundaries are restraining her freedom. So she works hard to break through it. Sometimes with outside help (I'm looking at you neighbor's dog), sometimes all by herself. When she gets what she wants, she thinks she's free, and she begins to run throughout the neighborhood.

In streets.
In dirty canals.
In backyards of others.
Crossing paths of cars, strangers, and unknown dogs.

As her masters, we know the dangers. This is why we put up boundaries, for her protection. And she, in her "freedom", has put herself at the mercy of the world - which as a neighbor pointed out "is not going to end well".

So we wake up frantically, we leave work in a hurry, we leave before dinner is served and we chase after her. We bike and walk and drive around, calling her name until we are hoarse. We are committed to bringing her home. We pursue her.

When she is found, there is joy. We bring her home. She hangs her head low. Grateful but ashamed. She's hesitant to come through the door because she is covered in mud, fleas (thanks again neighbor dog), and she stinks. But we coax her, give her water, clean her, make her like new again.

And we fix what is broken.

***

You see, the problem with my dog doing whatever she wants is that it is sometimes outside of the boundaries we, her wiser masters, have placed around her. The problem with doing what "feels good" is that it is a false sense of freedom, riddled with dangers that she cannot possibly comprehend.

True freedom is here, inside the fence.
Where we are loved and cared for.
So let us look to our Good Master today and everyday.
Let us thank Him for rescuing us and inviting us into His family.
Let us thank Him for pursuing us, calling after us, and cleansing us when we mess up.
And let us sit at the feet of our Good Master, content just to spend time in His lap instead of pursuing our own self.