My dog, Winston, recently did battle with a wire fence. The fence won.
They say that one symptom of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over while thinking, “Oh, maybe this time it will turn out differently.”
If that is true, then insanity, thy name is Winston.
Because he committed assorted crimes against humanity and the animal kingdom, my dog is serving a life sentence in the fenced-in acre behind our house. But Winston cannot accept his fate, so whenever squirrels, cats, dogs, neighbor kids and UPS trucks disturb his fragile tranquility, he leaps against the fence in a misguided effort to escape his comfy kingdom.
He clings tenaciously to his vain hope that one day he will be allowed to roam, pillage and wreak his special blend of havoc out in the free world.
Winston’s most recent battle with the fence left him with a nasty gash on his front leg. What did he learn from that? Apparently, nothing.
Please understand that Winston’s world inside the fence contains everything he needs to live an excellent doggy life: access to our house, food, water, shade, a plastic pool in the summer, paths to run around, squirrels to chase, sunshine on his face, dirt to dig in, toys to play with, and leaves to lie upon.
We love Winston and want him to enjoy his life, so it’s frustrating to watch him tangle with the fence in a vain attempt to get to those few things that are beyond the generous and loving limits we have placed around him.
My dog’s comprehension of the spoken word doesn’t seem to extend beyond “out,” “walk” and “treat,” but if it did, I’d take his cute muzzle in my hands and explain that the fence around our yard is simply an expression of the love within our hearts. We know that if we let Winston roam beyond the fence, he’ll ultimately find only disappointment, danger, and destruction.
He would inevitably and painfully discover that he’s no match for the big tires on that brown UPS truck, other dogs can be annoying, cats have nasty claws, children are fickle, and raw squirrels probably aren’t nearly as tasty as a fresh can of Alpo.
I hate to admit it, but I do understand how Winston feels about fences. As a matter of fact, God has sometimes, figuratively speaking, had to take my cute muzzle in His hands and talk to me about His loving limitations.
How it must frustrate and grieve God when I don’t see His laws for what they truly are: an expression of His tender heart, protective love and perfect character.
Before God ever communicated His laws, including what we know as the Ten Commandments, He repeatedly expressed and demonstrated His desire to enjoy a loving relationship with the people He created. The children of Israel had every opportunity to know Him as their strong deliverer, faithful protector and generous provider before He became their loving lawgiver.
The fact is, when God says “no,” He’s really saying “yes” – “Yes, I love you enough to warn you to stay away from things that will hurt you.” He knows that outside the fences, there is danger and woe.
So, let the UPS trucks roll by, and let the things of the world – the tasty squirrels, tempting cats, taunting children and playful dogs — try to entice me outside. With God’s help, I’m going to stay inside the fence.
Wise up, Winston, and do likewise.