Are you pulling?

My daughter and I went for a picnic a while back. We brought the two miniature dachshunds with us. The day was sunny and warm; a perfect day for a picnic. Sasha and Lucy were excited to get to go with us.

We found a table in the park that happened to have a post nearby to which we could attach the leashes. As we ate and talked, I noticed that Sasha, the older of the two dogs, was exploring all the area her leash would allow. Lucy, on the other hand, pulled her leash tight and sat there looking at us.

I continued to look over at the dogs occasionally, and while Sasha was always on the move sniffing some new weed or something, Lucy kept her leash pulled tight. She didn’t seem to care what was within reach.

I suddenly realized I am sometimes like that. Though I don’t wear a leash, I know there are limits and boundaries in life, and I am the kind of person who sometimes pushes at the edges of them.

What’s more, I know that God has set limits and boundaries for us. Not to punish us or keep us from enjoying life, but for our own good. As I look back over my life, I have to admit that some of these limits I have pushed and stretched at, too.

The thing that struck me about Lucy, though, was how much time and energy she was wasting just sitting there, pulling at the leash. Sasha was sniffing and hunting and discovering with reckless abandon. Lucy just sat there.

Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. All the abundant life God wants us to enjoy is within our reach. Why pull and press at the boundaries?