At Leash's End

Though I'm already dreading the arrival of spring storm season, I must say that I'm ready for warmer weather to get here. This winter seems to have been especially long and especially cold for many parts of the country, and I'm sure I'm not alone in being ready to trade in my indoor exercise routine for some nice long walks outside. There's just something about being outside ... it's soothing to me somehow ... the wind across my face, the sound of birds in the trees, the feel of the trail beneath my feet. And of course, walking outside means Ollie the wiener dog ... my loyal, faithful, bridge-running, squirrel and rabbit-chasing, happy-all-the-time, tail-wagging, people-loving wiener dog walking buddy.

Today was a sunny, warm day ... a touch on the windy side, but otherwise perfect for a long afternoon walk. It's been a couple of weeks since Ollie and I walked outside, and he was itching to go this afternoon when I grabbed his harness and the leash from the rack in the garage. As I clicked the lock on the retractable leash to keep Ollie close to my side as we crossed the main street, I thought as I have many times before what a wonderful invention the leash is. I remember the old days when leashes were only one length, and there was no option but to wrap the leash around my hand if I didn't want my dog walking too far ahead of me. Yep, with Ollie being the adventurous little hound that he is, I'm grateful for the retractable leash every single time we go for a walk.

When we reached the trail, it only took a moment for me to realize that every human and dog in every nearby neighborhood had decided to do the same thing Ollie and I were doing ... there were people and dogs everywhere. Ollie's excitement level about going for a walk went up a gazillion-fold when he saw all the other dogs, and he tugged with all his wiener dog strength on the leash, whining as he tried desperately to run ahead and greet each one of them. Knowing that I would have to keep the leash locked if we stayed on the trail, I immediately turned around and told Ollie that we were going to walk the more deserted route we take during the winter months when it gets dark early. He wasn't the happiest wiener in the world as I tugged him off the trail away from the other dogs, but it didn't take long for his jubilation to return once I unlocked the leash so that he could run up ahead of me on the sidewalk.

Ollie and I walked for more than an hour this afternoon, and for pretty much the entire walk, Ollie ran ahead of me ... he ran ahead of me as far as the leash would reach. I smiled as I followed behind him, watching as he did his little hopping and skipping run ... he really is an adorably happy little guy. My mind was racing as fast as Ollie's feet were hopping and skipping ... so fast that I almost missed something ... I almost missed something important ... something meaningful ... something that I should have seen and understood long ago. It wasn't until we were on our way home that I got it, that it struck me, that my mind slowed down enough to take it in ... the truth that walked before me ... the truth at leash's end.

As we approached one of the three streets we had to cross on our way home, I tugged on Ollie's leash to pull him close to me to keep him safe from the cars that were speeding by. The more I tugged on the leash, the harder Ollie pulled against me until I finally picked him up and carried him across the road. The minute his little paws were back on the road, he ran to the end of the leash as hard and as fast as he could ... so hard and so fast that when he reached the end, the jerk of the leash against his harness not only gave my shoulder a jolt, it also lifted my little wiener dog's front feet off the ground. I stopped dead in my tracks and said aloud, "Ollie, you need to slow down, buddy, before you hurt me and you both. Sometimes it's not good to run ahead ... sometimes it's better to walk. Why are you in such a hurry anyway? One step at a time, little guy ... one step at a time."

I guess Ollie understood that the words that came out of my mouth were meant more for me than him, because when my eyes began filling with tears, he turned and trotted back to me and pawed at my legs for me to lift him into my arms. Burying my face in his furry little neck, I whispered, "I'm the one who needs to stop trying to run ahead, Oliver ... I'm the one who needs to walk ... I'm the one who needs to trust the process and stop trying to run ahead. One step at a time, buddy ... one step at a time ... one step at a time." 

Ollie walked the rest of the way home close to me ... I don't know if he knew I needed him to walk by my side ... maybe it was that he needed me to walk by him. I do know that God can use anything He chooses to reveal His truth to me. I know that because today that truth walked before me ... today that truth walked before me at leash's end.