Please Don't Run From Me
My dogs have fleas. We've tried every shampoo, spray, and application we can get our hands on, and just when it seems like we have the fleas under control, they surface again. I don't know if they're really heavy in the backyard, and the dogs pick them up when they go outside or what. But one thing I do know is that the fleas are driving me crazy! I'm so tired of the itching and scratching of my poor pups. I know they're miserable, so I do the only thing I know to do. I spray them daily with our all-natural repellant. They don't like it, but at least it seems to keep the itching and scratching down some.
The biggest problem I have is with Tippy. As I've told you before, our adorable little Beagle is not the brightest crayon in the box. When she itches, she doesn't know when to stop. She'll dig and scratch at an area until she's pulled out the hair, ripped through the skin and made a bloody mess. She just doesn't quit. Right now, we're calling her "Baboon Bottom" because her back end is completely bald. For her own protection, I'm having to keep a cone around her neck when I'm away or can't watch her. Additionally, I have to treat the fleas and care for the areas she's made raw from her incessant scratching.
She's caught on to the daily treatments, so every time I call her or she sees me walking toward her, she runs from me and hides. This makes me feel horrible. I mean, after all, I'm only trying to help. I'm trying to do what I know will help her to feel better and to eventually get better. But she doesn't understand that. All she knows is that she doesn't like my help. It's uncomfortable. So she'd rather run and hide.
I have no room to talk, for I do the same thing with God. So many times in my life, God works in ways I don't like, so I run from Him. Deep down, I know He's trying to help me, but the process is uncomfortable, and I don't want to have to go through it. I run and hide, remaining miserable with my "itches and scratches", but unwilling to allow God to do what He needs to do to take care of me. I can be so stubborn!
Do you know what though? When I finally get hold of Tippy and treat her wounds, I can tell she feels much better. She is able to rest, and her relief is evident in her expression and mannerisms. When I finally allow God to work on me, the result is the same. Though the process is unpleasant, the result is worth it.
Hopefully, sometime in the near future, Tippy and I will both figure out that it's better not to run and hide. After all, the Master is only trying to help.