I couldn’t believe that Carl would attack Bee over a squirrel! We were having a wonderful little walk through the neighborhood and all was calm until Carl spotted the squirrel scampering across the street. With no way of getting to the furry animal, Carl turned his anger on Bee and jumped her. Before I could do anything to separate them, they were going after each other with a vengeance.
Concerned for the welfare of my little dogs, I released Bee’s leash and pulled Carl away from her. I spoke in a stern voice to him, letting him know that I was not pleased. As if he could understand the chastening he was receiving, he looked up at me with a sorrowful expression.
Not many of us can be found in a fight over a squirrel but all of us have our tendencies to get upset over what could be perceived as a minor squirrel issue. We may show our anger for all the world to see but most of us will typically just wallow in it. Either way, in these situations, we usually find ourselves soaked in sin and far away from communion with God.
Hebrews 12:10 helps us to understand why God may chasten us in these situations. “They (our earthly fathers) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”
No one likes to be disciplined and when it comes, we can either embrace it or become bitter from it. But if we can stop and realize that God disciplines us for our good than hopefully we can grow in our character and integrity.
I hope that Carl understood why he was being disciplined but I am not going to be surprised by what he does the next time a furry animal crosses his path. But for now, I was grateful to see Carl snuggle up close to Bee and for her to forgive him so quickly. We sure do have a lot to learn from these two!