God's Coaching #134

God's Coaching #134

The waves at the Coronado Bay Resort in Imperial Beach, California, had the competitors barking with excitement. The stormy conditions at the 2010 Surf Dog Competition didn’t stop the furry competitors from itching with anticipation . . . and maybe even chasing their tails a bit. That’s right—all the surfers had four legs and a whole lot of fur.

These salty dogs really were dogs. More than 60 pooches showed up to catch some waves. The dogs wore flotation vests and stood on their surfboards while their owners pushed them into the breaking waves. Fans cheered from the shore as these canines “hung 20.” The dogs ranged in size from a five-pound Pomeranian to an 85-pound Bernese mountain dog. An Australian kelpie named Abbie Girl won the under-40-pound division. And all the surfers seemed to have fun as they raised money for the San Diego Police Department’s canine unit.

What’s the Score?

Dogs are just plain cool. (Sorry, cat lovers!) They can do so much: catch Frisbees and balls, track things with their sense of smell, rescue people or chase down criminals, and surf. Plus, they’re man’s best friend. They’ll love you no matter what. If you have a dog, you know.

But dogs are still dogs. And dogs have some pretty gross habits, too. Proverbs 26:11 reminds us of one of those: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Eeeewwww! That gross mental image gives us a good lesson: things can get ugly (and a little disgusting) when we return over and over to our foolish ways without learning from our mistakes. Don’t be like a dog. Stop making the same mistake over and over.

On the Ball

Can you imagine eating dog food until you throw up . . . and then eating that? That would be a horrible idea. But it’s also horrible to keep repeating the same mistake. Remember the image of dog vomit the next time you’re toying around with doing something foolish—and make a wiser decision.

Coach’s Comment

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. Proverbs 26:11