I’ve been hearing myself tell my dog, Huckleberry, to wait…A LOT!! He’s a little red Cattle Dog that needs some work on impulse control. He’s bred to chase and go after cattle and livestock, so I understand his tendencies. However, I know I must teach him to wait to keep him safe! When he takes off chasing something ,he does not look, think or listen. He just runs ahead!
My cue "Wait" does not mean "No you can’t", it means "Not right now"! It means you must focus on me and not the thing you’re wanting to run after! It means I will make sure it’s safe and clear to pursue after I evaluate the situation. It's not punishment even though he probably feels like it is. It is my love for him, and wanting to keep him safe!
Just the other day, he jumped the gun, deciding he knew better than to obey my asking him to wait, and ran down the dock to the boat. Because the door was not open yet, and the boat was in a different spot, he tried jumping over the door instead of obeying my command to WAIT! Instead of waiting for me to open the door, he decided to try to jump it! He did not make the jump, and down he went, in between the boat and the dock, into the water. I was probably more freaked out than he was. Thank God he had his life vest on! (yes I’m one of those moms). He swam under the dock, through the sea weed, to the shore. He was wet and scared. We both ran to each other and hugged, grateful that he was OK. I remember saying if you had just waited for me!!! Then, not but a few minutes later, when we were finally going to go on a boat ride our other dog Chunk got nervous because the boat was in a different spot and his normal way of getting on was different. So, instead of listening to me he just ran to do what he usually did. The problem was, there was no ramp so he ran through the lily pads and grown up weeds and jumped. Bam! He hit the front of the boat and…SPLASH! My heart had not quite recovered from Huckleberry’s episode. Dazed and confused as to what had just happened, I ran to him and put leashes on both him and Huckleberry. I said, I told you to WAIT!!!!
Both incidents could’ve been avoided if they had just waited and trusted that I knew better and that I was preparing a safe and fun ride. I had to have time to open the door. They both thought they knew better and trumped my instruction to wait! My telling them to wait was not a no you’re not going, it was a wait until I have everything ready for a safe fun adventure with me. It dawned on me that this was exactly what the Lord was saying to me, and he was showing me, through my Furkids, a very important parable. I have a Cattle Dog personality. I do everything fast and I’m quick to respond. I hate waiting. I hate waiting in line. I hate waiting in any traffic. I just hate waiting!! I tend to jump into things too fast!! Patience and impulse control have never been my strength, but I see the value in being trained to wait, just like my dogs!!! Right now, I am working on that skill with my dogs all the time. I need to really get it into their heads to wait and look to me for direction, instead of running into trouble or danger. It’s a skill, I know, that could save their lives and keep them from harm! So, I will continue to work on it with them, not because I’m a control freak, but because I love them with all my heart!!!
Like Huckleberry, who assumed it was an open door and just took off, or Chunk who just assumed he should do what he always did out of routine, neither waited for direction! I've been guilty of both offenses!!!
Remember, waiting is not a NO, it could be a NOT NOW, something better is in store!
Lord help us wait for your guidance and direction. Help us to wait until you open the door, in your timing!..Knowing it just might keep us from making a big SPLASH!!!
Those that wait on the Lord will 🦅SOAR🦅 not splash!
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
Isaiah 30:18 NIV