Anytime I get a chance to walk my dogs leash free I love to see the excitement in their faces. 

It's always a mix of "Woohoo!" and "Are you really trusting us not to run away?"  The funny thing is they have two different personalities when the leash comes unsnapped.

Rutledge stays right by my side constantly looking at me making sure that I am right there, seeking praise for not running off from me.  He is older, content with his life, and  has no desire to run ahead of me at all, he is simply happy to be walking by my side and sniffing bushes as we go ( smiling the whole time.) 

Amos on the other hand is younger, still figuring out all the world has to offer him.  He is more curious and needs explorations and new smells to satisfy him.  He thrives on running full speed (literally, he can run as fast as 33 mph) and feeling like he has a little bit of freedom away from me.  So when the leash is off, he takes off fast and furious with his ears flopping in the wind.  You would think he was never coming back.  But then, once he doesn't feel my presence anymore he stops and turns around to look for me and waits until I get closer.  He needs the reassurance that he is still going in the right direction. 

I had never really thought about the correlation between what Amos does on his walk and what I do in my own life with God until my mom and I had a conversation about a week ago.