Drop It, Donald

I walked outside and said,

"Donald… what’s in your mouth?"

He froze.

I said, "Drop it."

He looked at me.

Then looked at the ground.

Then looked back at me.

Like maybe if we waited long enough…

I’d forget he had a sock hanging out of his mouth.

Donald found a dirty sock

Half buried by the can,

Mud on one end, something green

I did not understand.

I said, "Donald, drop it!"

He backed up three more feet.

I said, "Boy, that thing is nasty."

He said,

"Dad… you ain’t gotta eat it."

I said, "I wasn’t planning to!"

He said, "Then we’re good."

I said, "NO, WE’RE NOT."

He wagged his tail.

Apparently Donald thought we were negotiating.

Drop it, Donald, drop it,

You don’t need everything you find.

Just because you want it

Doesn’t mean it’s worth your time.

You can sniff it, want it, chase it,

You can think it looks just right,

But sometimes getting right means saying,

"Nope… I’m leaving that behind."

Drop it, Donald.

Before it makes a bigger mess.

I reached down for that old sock.

Donald took off through the yard.

For a dog that walks into furniture,

He can run surprisingly hard.

Round the tree, across the porch,

Straight through my flower bed.

I finally yelled,

"DONALD! STOP!"

He stopped.

Then took one more step.

I said, "What was that?"

He said,

"Momentum."

I said, "You don’t know what momentum means."

He said,

"Nope."

I finally got him sitting down.

I said, "Donald, here’s the deal:

You can’t grab everything you want

Just because you want how it feels."

He blinked at me.

I said,

"That’s called self-control."

He scratched his ear awhile.

Then said,

"Is that the thing you lose

When somebody cuts you off while you drive?"

…

I said, "We’re talking about YOU."

He said,

"Okay.

But you brought up self-control."

That dog is a lot smarter

When I wish he wasn’t.

Drop it, Donald, drop it,

You don’t need everything you find.

Every want ain’t worth obeying,

Every thought don’t need your time.

Every feeling needs a driver.

Every appetite needs brakes.

Sometimes strength ain’t grabbing harder—

Sometimes strength is what you don’t take.

Drop it, Donald.

Before it makes a bigger mess.

Then it got quiet.

Because I knew that dog was right.

Self-control ain’t having no temptation.

It’s choosing who gets to drive.

It’s that little space before the action,

Before the words come flying out,

Before desire becomes decision,

Before a little thing goes south.

And I can’t grow that fruit alone.

That’s something God produces in me.

Maybe getting right begins with stopping

Long enough to let His Spirit lead.

Donald looked at me real serious.

I thought,

Here comes something profound.

He said,

"Dad… can I have the sock now?"

"No."

"Okay."

Drop it, Donald, drop it,

You don’t need everything you find.

Just because you can reach something

Doesn’t mean you make it mine.

Stop before you grab it.

Think before you chase.

Ask who’s really leading

Before your feelings set the pace.

God can teach this stubborn heart

When to move and when to rest.

Sometimes getting right is simply—

STOP.

LISTEN.

DROP IT.

Before it makes a bigger mess.

I threw the sock in the garbage.

Donald watched it land.

I said,

"See? We both learned something today."

He looked at me.

I looked at him.

Then I noticed…

He had something else in his mouth.

"Donald…

is that my underwear?"

He took off running.

Apparently lesson four starts tomorrow.