“Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)
Pierre Beauregard III, a medium French poodle gained access to our home shortly after our matrimony. Dennis felt sorry for him. Beau belonged to my groom’s longtime friends who loved him dearly …until they adopted a baby boy that they loved more and Beau got relegated to the out of doors, a place he was not accustomed to and didn’t care for at all. Can’t you just see it now, Coach Lynn walking a chocolate poodle in the rain in front of our honeymoon cottage on Brushy Creek Road in Greer? It wasn’t a good fit. But he meant well…Coach Lynn, that is. He wanted to save this dog from a chain and possibly the pound.
It all went down hill shortly after our marriage when Beau didn’t want to relinquish his spot beside me in the bed. (Yes, we rue the day we allowed him on the bed) He made the mistake of growling at his master. Not a good thing to do. This dog demonstrated no sorrow whatsoever for his errant behavior and continued to defy the master of the house. I don’t suppose dogs show godly sorrow but I know a lot of them do show some humility.
We acquired a fence in our back yard for Pierre Beauregard to romp in while Dennis coached and I worked in the Emergency Room. We knew we were dealing with a shrewd yet smart animal when Beau dug out under the fence and came to the front scratching on the door to get inside. After many efforts at containing him, frequent baths due to the mud puddles he dug getting out of the fence and enduring the condescending looks of the groomer when we took him to be trimmed; we decided to just not keep him in the fence because he wasn’t staying in anyway. What was Beau’s solution? He dug himself back under the fence into the backyard and presented himself at the side door to be admitted. OH, he did frustrate the newlyweds. Dennis, who was teaching/coaching at a local high school at the time advertised at school for a new home for our poodle. Pierre Beauregard sensed the future and began to ‘do his business’ right in the middle of our living room in front of the television. He was placed with a student whose parents called us shortly thereafter to ask if he was up to date on his shots. It seems Beau had bitten his groomer. Poor Beau just couldn’t get over the rejections in his life. I have to admit, we were among those who rejected the impudent little poodle and we are dog lovers.
Lessons learned from Pierre Beauregard III:
- Rejection in any shape or form may result in rebellion
- Rebellion may develop into a number of reactions
- Reactions vary from compliance to lack of repentance to outright revolt
- Revolt rarely wins friends or influences people, especially when the people rule
- Relocating a rejected poodle to the newly wed game has its repercussions (or… timing is everything)
Do you suppose that God, our Father has that in mind for us when we find ourselves in a rebellious situation no matter what the cause? I’m glad He doesn’t reject us as children but He chooses His own restraints in teaching us important lessons even if they come at the end of a leash or inside a fence. How do you respond to God’s restraints?
“Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.”
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