True Hope and a Future

Today Daisy and I went for our first Spring walk of the year. Yes, I am declaring Spring! Sunny, mild, and no snow on the pavement - it's close enough for me, at least here in Michigan.

I've been studying the Holy Spirit lately, and as we walked, Romans 8:14 came to mind:"Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

In my research, I discovered the word translated "led" referred to someone leading an animal at the end of a rope. I was leading Daisy at the end of her leash, and most of the time it was the same type of leading that Scripture describes. I'd gently tug, and she'd follow. Most of the time. There were several occasions, however, when she came across an interesting scent and rivited herself in place to investigate. She no longer responded to my gentle tugs, and it took a combination of coaxing and yanking to get her moving again.

I'm afraid that when it comes to being led by the Spirit, I can be more like Daisy than I'd care to admit. Sometimes I don't respond to His gentle promptings. Unlike me, however, the Holy Spirit has all the time in the universe to wait for me to get going again. He doesn't force His will on me, but patiently waits for me to follow Him. The problem is, by ignoring the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit, I'm the one missing out. How much time have I wasted while He was waiting to lead me? What opportunities have I missed? How much deeper could my relationship be if I had just kept in step?