Since I'm out of town attending a close family member's funeral, staying at my brother's home, I thought I would share another great story by my brother, Tommy. I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a technique for training a dog, referred to as the “long leash.” There is nothing really complicated about using the tool or the concept. In addition, the technique is most effective on those strong-willed pets that fight your best intentions to keep them tethered.

 

The leash logically gets its name from the length, which normally is between 15 to 20 feet. It is equipped with a loop on one end for “the trainer” and a snap, swivel hook on the other end to connect to the dog’s collar.

 

The idea is for the trainer to hold the leash firmly with both hands against his chest, with the pet clipped to the other end, and simply begin walking. Most pets will briefly fight the leash, and then run out ahead of the trainer. As soon as the pet passes the trainer, the trainer immediately and abruptly reverses direction. This results in the pet receiving an unexpected and slightly painful “snatch,” when reaching the end of the leash.

 

The pet will then normally reverse direction and again run past the trainer. The trainer will then immediately reverse direction—with the pet receiving the same result. The sequence will continue for about 10 to 15 minutes before the pet realizes that the shock and pain of hitting the end of the leash is eliminated, by simply keep their eyes on the trainer. After about three or four of these short sessions, the trainer will notice that the pet will calmly walk alongside “the master.” While the pet’s eyes may not always be on the trainer, the pet becomes consciously aware that it hurts less to be in tune with the master’s movements.

 

The point. Okay, you may ask, “What’s the point”? The analogy is fairly “straight forward” for my simple mind. Now I would ask you, “How often have you run out ahead of ‘your Master’?”

 

Anxious, impetuous, strong-willed intentions can sometimes put Christians out ahead of God’s perfect will. Christ will let you run to the end of your leash. However, you can remain assured that when you hit the end of your rope, you are still firmly in His grip.

 

© 2009 Tommy Barnes All Rights Reserved.

 

Gene T. ‘Tommy’ Barnes, is a retired Safety Professional with ExxonMobil, and addresses topics about his faith as viewed through work, family and hobbies. Tommy and his wife, Penny, live in SoutheastTexas. They have three married daughters and five grandchildren.

Photo/TaraRoss

Have you ever "hit the end of your rope"? What happened?