I carted my sweet dog, Buddy, to the veterinarian last week for a checkup. He hates the car, and usually whimpers before I even turn the key to start the engine, but that day he was oddly happy. He let the breeze blow across his face and sniffed happily at all the scents we passed. As soon as we got into the office, though, the whining started as if he had been saving it up. It got louder and louder until it became a long, drawn-out, pitiful howl. And it kept going, and going and going…

Other animals looked at him with alarm and concern. Other pet parents stepped back, envisioning with the scene they knew could materialize at any minute. He forcefully resisted the ten steps to the exam room with every bit of his 35 dense pounds. He refused to allow himself to be lifted onto the exam table, and he nipped at the vet’s hand as she reached out to pet him. By that point the howling had ceased and been replaced by the most threatening snarl a dachshund’s cute face could muster.

Then, suddenly, he looked at me with sad eyes and simply gave up the struggle. He plopped down on the furry vinyl floor with a dog-breath sigh and completely surrendered. In defeated cooperation he allowed the ear cleaning, the hip and knee exam, the rabies shot, and even the stool test.

Personally, I can relate to the whole experience. Saint Paul could, too:
What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.
The willing is ready at hand but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good
I want, but I do the evil I do not want (Romans, 7:15,18-19).

Sometimes I wail and howl and struggle against even those things that are good for me. We all do. Whether its healthy eating, daily exercise, minimizing binge watching or making time for prayer, we all resist, doing anything we can to avoid what’s good for us. And occasionally we even attack the hand that offers to help. Then something knocks us to our knees, or we become exhausted from the battle of trying to maintain control. Eventually we let go of our resistance, and one of two things will happen. We either despair at our lack of control or we embrace the freedom that comes from letting go.

When my dog stopped pulling so hard, his leash was a whole lot looser.
Same is true for us.

                 Don’t forget to share with others who might need this reminder!