Well, God let me down, it was so plain to see,
It felt just the same as if he had kicked me.
I knew that the job was the one that I needed,
I told God my plan and I prayed and I pleaded.

My goal was in sight, my future planned out.
I knew what I needed, in my heart was no doubt.
So why did he do it? Why didn’t he see?
Not getting that job would devastate me.

I told God right then, if he loved me so,
Then give me a reason, what didn’t I know?
I was sorry for me, for I felt so blue,
I moped the day long with nothing to do.

I took my dog Spot to the park for a run.
Some kids had a ball they were throwing for fun.
When I unhooked his leash to let Spot run free,
The kids threw the ball and it went right past me.

A truck I saw coming so fast down the road,
No way he could stop, he had quite a load.
I from my place could see it all clearly,
I would lose Spot, the dog I loved dearly.

But Spot’s only thought was the ball in the street,
Where he and the truck most surely would meet.
No time to cry out, for he wouldn’t hear,
His goal was the ball, without caution or fear.

I stood by the curb and as he went by,
I kicked him so hard he let out a cry.
The truck went on past, the ball was squashed flat.
I knelt down by Spot and gave him a pat.

I know that my kick was a hurtful surprise,
For Spot looked at me with questioning eyes.
I no longer saw God’s will through a fog,
When I heard him ask, “Why did you kick your dog?”

God has a plan for each of our lives. It is just as impossible for each of us to understand that plan as it was for the dog in The Lesson to understand why his master kicked him.

Some of us can look back at times when we felt like God was ignoring our prayers and see how it worked out for the best. Others, like Spot, will never know what and how God has protected them. Sometimes being kicked isn’t all that bad, when we consider the alternative.