Let Go

My big dog, Julie, loves to play. I've had numerous dogs throughout my 50 years of life, but I've never owned a dog who loved to play as much as she does. Most evenings, weather permitting, I'm outside tossing a Frisbee or tennis ball for her ... she catches them in her mouth and brings them back, drops them at my feet and anxiously awaits the next launch of the toy.

When the snow falls and the temperatures drop, or the rain and thunderstorms arrive, Julie and I play tug-of-war in the house. I bought her an industrial strength rope toy with a heavy-duty rubber tube in the middle. I learned early on that she needs the toughest toys on the market, because she is a very strong girl and can rip almost anything to shreds as she plays.

As much as I enjoy playing with Julie, there is one huge dilemma when we play tug-of-war. Julie never wants to let go of the rope; and since she is so strong, I can only tug with her for so long until my arms and shoulders cave in from the workout and I release the rope. Without fail, however, Julie always brings the toy back, begging for more playtime.

As those of you who frequent this blog know, I often am struck with great truths during times spent with my dogs. A couple of nights ago, as I was tugging on the rope with Julie, I heard myself saying to her, "Why can't you ever just let go, girl? Why do you always have to fight so hard to hold on to this old, dirty rope?" As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I had a moment ... a moment when I knew that God was speaking to me, when He was imparting some knowledge, some wisdom into my heart and mind.

Watching Julie fight for control of her toy caused me to realize that I am much like her concerning things in my own life. I fight to hang on to things that I should let go of ... things that are not what they should be, things that are less than noble or pure, things that keep me distant from other people and from God. When I should let go and let God have control of the ropes in my life, I tug and fight and hang on with everything I have in me.

It's raining here today, which means there will be a round or two of tug-of-war tonight in my house. And recently, there have been some rounds of tug-of-war in my heart as well. So tonight, I'll let Julie tug on her rope, and I'll try to let go of mine.