Dogs

Watchdogs, guide dogs, guard dogs.

Isn’t it something how we humans can compare ourselves to other parts of nature?

With the above 3 types of trained dogs, how might we compare ourselves?

Really, there are times we are each one of them. Each has its purpose, but each can be taken to its extreme…just like us. Our strengths can be our weaknesses. Our weaknesses can become our strengths. It’s all in how we use them and how we control ourselves.

My watchdog tendency to warn and alert others of danger could easily turn into a suspicious, critical way of life…always seeing the worst, feeling the need to comment on anything and everything.

My guide dog tendency to help others find the right path and do what’s best could become a controlling thing…always attempting to help or overhelp others…never backing off allowing them to find their own path.

My guard dog tendency to protect what I feel is right and correct could turn into excess rules and laws to preserve what I think is best…not letting others off the leash, always monitoring them, their behavior, actions, purchases etc.

Looking at all the cons of the above type dogs seem to boil down to control -to control others.

Looking at the pros of the above dogs we can see protection, guidance and preservation. These are things we humans need from each other.

I guess we each need to keep these ‘dogs’ in our lives on our own leash, so we don’t get out of hand barking and biting others.

We don’t have to stay in the kennel all our life; we can train ourselves to go out, be free and help people.

They say dogs are a man’s best friend. Let’s be that kind of friend.

Afraid to Be You?

God made you how you are, and He wants to improve on you.

The thought came to me awhile back, “Are you afraid to be who you are?”

Each of us has gifts and talents and wonderful things on the inside that could be a great help to others if we’d just let them flow out of us.

I think sometimes we get all frustrated feeling inside because we’re not letting go to the outside what God has placed on the inside. God wants to use us and when we quench it and won’t let our gifts out, for fear of what others may think, or fear of failure or ‘what would I do if this thing actually worked?’, so when we quench the good thing God placed in us from coming out it builds up pressure on the inside and makes us miserable.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel on the inside when you do something for someone, or start working on a talent of yours and a tiny bit of progress is beginning to show? That’s the steam engine starting to move forward down the track. It’s not sitting on the rail building up steam until it feels like it’s going to explode; it’s functioning in the purpose for which it was made.

There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about doing something right, or spending time developing a skill or talent so you can be more useful to others in this world. That’s part of how we were designed.

Working together helping others in the way God enables us.

Each person is different. Each has a slightly different craft.

Each is extremely needful. Each needs other people’s help to make it happen.

We are independently dependent! Does that make sense? Yes it does!

Be the ‘you’ God made you to be, and allow others to be the ‘them’ God created them to be.

We are not imitations of one another. We are unique, individually gifted, created human beings, and although our crafts and trades might be similar to another’s, they are unique unto themselves.

God made many beautiful flowers. Why didn’t He just make one? One kind? It would be beautiful and smell pretty and that would be that. No, God makes many different kinds of beautiful flowers. The heavens declare the glory of God.

Let the beauty He placed inside of you come out to declare His glory and help somebody else.