Paradogs

 

Buckley and his human

I have a smart dog.  Sometimes too smart for his own good.  That is, he thinks he knows what he wants even when he knows it is the opposite of what I want even though he doesn’t understand why I want it, so he decides to go after his want, after which he may realize that wanting it was, well, not worth the want.  

Nevertheless, he’s still a pretty smart dog.  Right now he is not-so-contentedly lying at my feet despite the fact that he would rather be chasing the frisbee outside.  I, however, would rather be typing…

I win.

So here is an incredible piece I found from a little publication that’s been around for a l-o-n-g time:

I am amazed by the story of the World War II paradogs.  In preparing for D Day (Junes 6, 1944), the Allied troops needed the sharp senses of dogs to sniff their way through minefields and to warn troops of approaching danger.  And the only way to get these dogs to troops behind enemy lines was by parachute.  But dogs are instinctively afraid of doing this -and let’s be honest, they are not alone.  Yet after weeks of training, the dogs learned to trust their masters enough to jump at their command.

I wonder if any of us trust our Master enough to do challenging things we would never instinctively do or things that might make us fearful  We may not be instinctively generous or forgiving or patient with those who annoy us.  Yet Jesus commands us to trust Him enough to do things that may be difficult but that will advance His kingdom  To say, “In You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk” (Psalm 143:8 NKJV)

Paradogs often received meals for their bravery.  I believe we too will someday hear “well done” because we have trusted our Master enough to jump when He said, “Go!”

Right, so this big black dog lying at my feet right now is showing me something in myself that is not always easy-doing what doesn’t come naturally is many times exactly what my Master calls me to do.  

And if a dog can jump out of a plane, then surely……

Taken from Our Daily Bread, Copyright 2015 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512 and used by permission.  By Joe Stowell