6:06 PM
We receive the Sunday local newspaper, for some reason. I think it's because we like to spend an extra few bucks each month. We don't even take advantage of the money-saving coupons within its pages, nor do we read Prince Valiant or the other killer in-color comics (do any of you actually follow Prince Valiant?).
I neglected to get the paper out of the driveway on Sunday of this week. As I pulled back into my driveway on Monday after taking my son to school, I noticed that the paper was not in its wrapper in the driveway any longer. Rather, it was in lots of shredded pieces in my font yard, thanks to my dog, who got more use out of the paper than we typically do.
Should I get mad at Hershey the Chocolate Lab for having done this? We never trained him. He's a typical, still-hyper six-human-year-old-that's-42-years-for-you-and-me Labrador Retriever-Based Mutt. He did what that kind of a dog will do. Should I expect him to politely refrain from attacking/reading our weekly newspaper?
I remember asking my dad for my own car when I was fifteen or sixteen. he told me something like, "No, you can't even keep this car [the old 1969 Chrysler Newport boat-mobile] clean or do maintenance on it." "But if it were my own car," I'd argue, "I'd take really good care of it!" My dad didn't believe me. He shouldn't have, either. He was right. When I finally got my own car, I kept it dirty and never changed the oil.
Smart dad! How'd he know I was going to do that?! He had seen my patterns of behavior. He knew I wouldn't do what I said -- he knew what the result would be. Do you ever think that this is why God doesn't allow us to have more responsibility? Are we ready for it? Are we walking with clean hands and a pure heart?
He may be waiting for the day when we can see the paper in the driveway and resist the urge to pounce on it.
I neglected to get the paper out of the driveway on Sunday of this week. As I pulled back into my driveway on Monday after taking my son to school, I noticed that the paper was not in its wrapper in the driveway any longer. Rather, it was in lots of shredded pieces in my font yard, thanks to my dog, who got more use out of the paper than we typically do.Should I get mad at Hershey the Chocolate Lab for having done this? We never trained him. He's a typical, still-hyper six-human-year-old-that's-42-years-for-you-and-me Labrador Retriever-Based Mutt. He did what that kind of a dog will do. Should I expect him to politely refrain from attacking/reading our weekly newspaper?
I remember asking my dad for my own car when I was fifteen or sixteen. he told me something like, "No, you can't even keep this car [the old 1969 Chrysler Newport boat-mobile] clean or do maintenance on it." "But if it were my own car," I'd argue, "I'd take really good care of it!" My dad didn't believe me. He shouldn't have, either. He was right. When I finally got my own car, I kept it dirty and never changed the oil.
Smart dad! How'd he know I was going to do that?! He had seen my patterns of behavior. He knew I wouldn't do what I said -- he knew what the result would be. Do you ever think that this is why God doesn't allow us to have more responsibility? Are we ready for it? Are we walking with clean hands and a pure heart?
He may be waiting for the day when we can see the paper in the driveway and resist the urge to pounce on it.
