One Clever Dog

A parable presented by Cmdr. Dennis W. Young, D7 Chaplain

A butcher who stood watching over his shop was quite surprised when he saw a dog come into his shop.  After chasing the dog away more than once, the dog continued to return.

Already a little curious by the dog's behavior, the butcher noticed that the dog carried a note in his mouth.  The butcher took the note that read-"May I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please?"  Even more curiously, the dog held enough money in his mouth to pay for his purchases.

So the butcher took the money and put the sausages and lamb in a bag and placed it in the dog's mouth.  So impressed was the butcher by all this, that he decided to close his shop and follow the dog.

First, the dog walked down the street until he came to a level crossing.  He put the bag down, jumped up and pressed the crosswalk button.  As the crosswalk cleared, the dog crossed the street with the butcher in tow.

Next, the dog came to a bus stop where he started looking at the timetable.  The butcher was in awe as the dog checked out the schedule and waited for his bus to come along.  The bus traveled through the town and out into the countryside while the dog watched the scenery.  Eventually the bus stopped, and the dog moved to the front of the bus for his exit.

The dog and the butcher continued down a familiar path where the dog promptly approached a house.  At the front door, the dog dropped his groceries on the step and began to throw himself into the door over and over.  Since there was no answer at the house, the dog ran to a narrow garden wall where he jumped up and began walking the perimeter of the garden.  At a window, the dog began beating his head against the glass until a big man opened the door.  To his amazement, the man started abusing the dog by kicking, punching and swearing at him.

When the butcher attempted to stop the abuse, he asked, "What are you doing?  This dog is a genius.  He could be on TV."  The abuser replied, "You call this clever?  This is the second time this week that this stupid dog has forgotten his key."

While it's unlikely that most of us will ever meet such a brilliant dog, there is a lesson in the story, which reminds us that some people just never realize when they have a good thing.  When it comes to the work place (or home for that matter), superiors would do well to learn how to show greater appreciation for their subordinates-especially those who serve loyally and faithfully.  Truly successful leaders develop and model servant leadership, which is "others-centered" rather than "self-centered."  The concept found in God's Word-"He who wishes to be a leader should first be a servant."-sets the standard for every person who aspires to positions of greater leadership.

Aim for service and success will follow.

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