Has life got you in a lampshade?

My dog, Zoe, is currently wearing a lampshade on her head.  You know- those plastic cone things dogs have to wear so they can’t lick, bite, scratch, and whatever else. 

Zoe got “fixed” last week.  Unbenounced to her, she was taken to the vet, cut open, “fixed,” sewed up, and sent home not knowing what had just happened.  Within a day or two, one of the stitches came undone, got infected, and Zoe was taken back to the vet.  This time she came back with orders to wear the lampshade.  Throughout this process, Zoe has been forced to sit still (no jumping, running, playing, fetching, etc.), she has been yelled at to stop licking her infected wound, she has had underwear put on her to avoid said licking (which did not go over well), and now the lampshade.

We all joke about how Zoe is probably thinking “What did I do wrong?”  “Why is this happening to me?”  But the truth is, Zoe hasn’t done anything wrong.  As her owners, we were looking out for her own good by getting her “fixed” to prevent future problems.  AKA: we don’t want to have puppies.

Unfortunately, her animal nature took over so she licked, bit, and messed with her stitches… which is what led to the underwear, lampshade, and trip #2 to the vet. 

But Zoe doesn’t understand.  And she probably never will.  The current pain, agitation, and annoyance remains even though this is all for the best. 

Has life got you in a lampshade?  Are you wondering what you did wrong?  Take a step back.  Maybe the current pain, agitation, annoyance, or other problems are the result of God’s greater plan.  In all things, God is working for our good.  Sometimes the road to that better plan is painful, and sometimes we make it more painful by itching, scratching, licking, and biting our way through.  Our own reactions to the things we face in life have a tremendous impact on how we arrive at God’s plans for us. 

So these are my words of advice: stop fighting it.  The more we lick, scratch, and bite, the more likely we are to end up with a lampshade on our heads wondering what happened.  Let God be God and trust in his plans.  

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

Getting “fixed” probably wasn’t in Zoe’s plans.  But it was in ours and it prevailed along with a few unforeseen consequences.  What’s in your life that wasn’t in your original plans?  Stop thinking you’ve done something “wrong,” sometimes the path to the place God has for you just has a couple lampshades along the way.

An extra 60 pounds lagging behind

My puppy, Zoe, is now 9 months old.  I figure if I want her to become a good running buddy, it’s now or never in terms of training her to learn how to run by my side.  For three days in a row, Zoe accompanied me on my runs.  

I set out with my new running gear, put Zoe on the leash that ties conveniently around my waist, and set out for what I thought to be a crazy run.  I imagined Zoe pulling me down the road, tripping me, and running at least 5 miles per hour faster than I wanted to run.  However, this was not the case.  For the first mile and a half, she ran right by my side.  In fact, I kept looking down to make sure the leash was still intact because I couldn’t even feel her there.  But this is not where the run ends.  After those first few minutes of running glory, things took a turn for the worse.  Zoe was done running.  I called for her to “heel,” I took the leash in my hands and pulled her close to me, I cheered her on, I whistled, I even resorted to asking her to please run.  But all my efforts were in vain.  Each run resulted in this unfortunate act of me dragging Zoe for at least the last half of the run. 

I got some strange looks as I ran leaned forward, pulling this seemingly “energetic” puppy down the road.  I am sure these onlookers had the same assumptions I did: the dog should be pulling the runner.   

As I pulled Zoe through the neighborhoods, 2 Corinthians 6:14 came to mind, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”  Originally, I thought this verse was referring to the relationships believers have with unbelievers that pull them down paths they don’t want to go down.  (Very similar to the image I had of how my run with Zoe would go- her pulling me stressfully down the street as I ran exhausted behind her.)  This may be a part of the verse, but it does not encompass the entire meaning of the verse.  Being yoked with unbelievers may not pull us down paths we want to avoid, but it can pull us back from where we are headed.  (Like what actually happened on my run with Zoe.)

It’s easy to brush off relationships with unbelievers as “harmless.”  But beware that even though you may not follow them down the path of life choices they have made, they can easily pull you back and make your walk with Christ burdened. 

Today I ran without Zoe.  I guess you could say I was burden free.  I was amazed how much easier running was without having an extra 60 pounds lagging behind me, inhibiting my capabilities to run. 

Are you in a relationship that inhibits you? 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Carefully examine your relationships.  Who are those people most closely attached to you?  Who have you chosen to put on a leash around your waist?  Are they pulling you back?  Are they making the race set out for you difficult?  We are told to cast off what entangles and hinders us.  If your “inner circle,” or those people who you confide in are what hinders you, I challenge you to think about how the race might be if you ran with suitable partners.