Leaving the Foolish Behind

Dexter is my buddy. He more than anyone else looks forward to my return at the end of the day. He faithfully sits beside me on the couch and will defend me in the face of any danger, even at the risk of his own safety. Dexter is my 8 year old Jack Russell Dachshund mix who cannot be faulted in terms of loyalty but can be questioned when it comes to logical thought. I continue to be dumbfounded by his total lack of reasoning.

This morning, I knocked over the kitchen garbage can causing coffee grounds and other garbage to fall on the ground. Dexter with tail wagging began eating like he had just been served the choicest selections from a 5 star restaurant. All the while a full dish of dog food was less than five feet away. Why would he choose to ignore the healthy food for the garbage?

A couple of years ago, Dexter almost died from consuming chocolate, not once but twice in a matter of one month. After the first poisoning, we became passionate about keeping the stuff away from him. He became passionate about finding it. We lost the battle when he ate a bag of chocolate chips he sniffed out of its hiding place. The poison caused him to vomit and shake uncontrollably for almost 24 hours. And still we have to be vigilant to keep chocolate away from him. Why would he pursue something that makes him feel so awful?

And when Dexter vomits I rush to remove it before he comes back to eat it. This is truly a disgusting pattern of behavior. But not new since the Psalmist also described it, “a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness” (Psalm 26:11, NLT). The comparison he makes is no less pertinent today. Because even though I can see the foolishness of Dexter’s behaviors and the wisdom of not repeating them, I am often oblivious of my own foolish choices and the consequences. And I repeat the same destructive behavior over and over again.

Dexter will always be a fool. There is no hope for my little buddy. As impossible as it sometimes seems, there is hope for me. My hope is in God who offers to transform the lives of those who seek him. Without God, I remain a fool just like Dexter. With God, I have a chance of leaving the foolish things behind me. At least that is what I am hoping.