Sometimes when I would go for a run my dog Callie would go with me. Sometimes her friend Bella would come along too. It was interesting to see how Callie is still a growing pup, as she loves to explore the world around her. Callie would jump over and crawl under fences to explore new worlds, she would run through the fields and follow scents. Bella, on the other hand, is older and likes to stay on the path. She would walk beside me or just a ways in front of me while I ran. (Yes, I run so slow that she can walk and still keep up.)
The problem was Callie didn’t understand how dangerous the road can be. Callie would often stand in the middle of the road even if a car was coming. In fact, it seemed she wanted to play chicken with the oncoming vehicles. I would get mad at Callie, yelling at her to move off the road. But she just wouldn’t listen, not understanding the danger she was in. I yelled at my dog, “Get off the road!” as I ran because I knew she’d get hurt, but she didn’t understand. As a “parent,” it was difficult to watch my dog not obey me, thus putting herself in harm’s way.
One day about a week ago, Callie was running across the road to my parents’ house when she got hit by a car. Callie was hit so hard and fast that she flew up onto the hood of the car, yelping in fear and pain. That night Callie wouldn’t eat or move. She was spooked by everything. I hated to see her hurt and scared, but I had told her not to get in the road and she had disobeyed.
Now, Callie is healthy and still likes to run around and jump up in your face to be petted. But Callie has learned her lesson. She now stays out of the road, especially when she sees or hears a car coming. In fact, the other day I was going to walk over to my parents’ house, and Callie was coming with me. We heard a car coming and Callie stopped and walked the other way, back toward my house. She was having nothing to do with that road. She had already learned the hard way.
Learning the Hard Way is Sometimes the Only Way We Learn
Sometimes we too can only learn the lesson and begin to obey after getting hurt. Sometimes if may feel like getting hit by a speeding car. But because of our human-nature, sometimes the only way for us to learn something is by feeling pain.
God, as our parent, will try to explain to us how dangerous our actions can be. It will hurt Him to see us have to learn the hard way. He won’t want to see us in pain, hurt or scared. Just like I wish Callie had just listened the first time, rather than having to get hit to learn the lesson.
Sometimes learning the hard way is the only way we learn and grow. Can you imagine asking God to break your heart? Asking Him to “hit you with a car” in order that you may learn to obey Him more? Would you ever ask God for madness and chaos and pain in order for you to grow closer to Him? It’s a wild idea — a very scary request. But sometimes we have to learn the hard way.
Here’s a song I’ve been listening to lately that is focused on this very topic. I encourage you to listen to the words and ask yourself if you would be willing to make these requests in order to grow closer to God. Don’t Stop the Madness by Tenth Avenue North requests things like, “Don’t stop the chaos. Don’t stop the pain surrounding me. Don’t be afraid to break my heart. Bring me down to my knees. Make me poor.”
This year, I have been really focused on asking God to stop my pain. I find it very difficult to even consider asking God to keep the pain coming, because I know how bad it hurts. You probably do too.
Do you think you could get yourself to sincerely ask God for madness and pain and heartbreak? What if you knew it was the only way you’d learn the lesson, the only way you’d grow closer to God?
To be completely honest, I’m just not sure if I could. I think I would be saying “God, if there is any other way, let’s take that road instead.” And you know what, I think that’s OK.
Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior — he kind of did the exact same thing. Before he was about to be killed in order for us to live eternally, he prayed to God.
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
I think it is completely OK to ask God to take our pain away, to stop the madness, as long as we are also saying, “Only if it is your will. Let your plan come to be, not mine.” Because sometimes, whether we like it or not, we just have to learn the hard way.
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Wow – I so needed to read this! How hard it is to want pain and trials of any kind, but I too, have been thinking lately that if that is the only way we learn the joy of living with God in our life or to grow closer to him, then I’m willing to have to deal with the pain. I just told a friend TODAY that I wondered if some of the trials were just to get me to move to a place where God wants me in my life. He has done it before with a job I had – it go so unbearable and I cried all the time, but I finally left the job – something I wouldn’t have done without the pain and hard times of the job. I got a new job – a better job – and as I look back I realize – God allowed the pain and stress to get me to a better place. Thanks for the reminder and the lesson.
designmom, Thanks for commenting. I agree, sometimes, God allows pain in order to bring us to a better place. Glad you enjoyed this post!