Obedience

Last night I could not sleep. There was a storm outside and it was rumbling and grumbling. I decided I would sleep on the couch and watch television and maybe that would lull me to sleep. Braddock obediently went to his little dog bed and went to sleep. I watched a few episodes of a television show, grabbed a flashlight to put next to me (in case the power went out because for some reason in Florida the rain causes power to go out). So I snuggled up with my blanket and flashlight and tried to sleep. At about 3 am I woke up with a start. The storm had calmed down and the television show was over...but where was the dog??? Now in order to fully appreciate this story, you have to understand that over the Fourth of July weekend we bought a new sofa, love seat, rug, and pillows for the living room. The dog had to be re-taught about couch rules. He used to be allowed on the couch and now he is not permitted on them at anytime. Well, when I suddenly woke up on the couch, I realized that I could not move my legs. I knew I had not been suddenly stricken paralyzed, and I also knew that the dog was no longer on his bed. The little devil had waited until I was sound asleep and obviously jumped up on the couch without a sound. I told him to get down and he looked at me as though I was crazy. Eventually he obeyed.

People are often like dogs. We think that as long as no one sees what we do that is wrong, then no one will know. Braddock really looked at me like I was crazy for asking him to get off the couch (which he KNOWS is wrong). But, as long as I was asleep, he knew he could get away with it. What we forget is that wrong sometimes bites us in the tush. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and do better next time that temptation comes along.