Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

By John McGough

“In everything set them
an example by doing
what is good. In your
teaching show integrity,
seriousness."
Titus 2:7

They say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, that’s not true. You can teach old dogs new tricks, both literally and figuratively. I personally witnessed this as a youngster as my dad would teach our dogs new tricks, many times in ways that would be extremely frowned upon, but I will not go there.

While they would eventually conform to the lesson they were getting, it did not mean that they forgot their old tricks or ways, but they did learn that the best way to achieve what they wanted was to adhere to the direction of their master.

I guess for a long time I considered myself to be like an “old dog.” I had become set in my patterns and ways, and really nothing was going to change any of that. But something did.

I try to make it a habit to ask my kids what they did in school each day; for some of you that may not seem like such a big deal, but for me it is something that I have had to focus on doing, that should give some indication as to some of the lessons I have had to learn.
Many times I get the usual answer of “nothing,” or I don't know, but sometimes I get a detailed account of the school days events.

On this particular evening when I asked my oldest daughter I got the typical “nothing” answer. But when I asked my youngest, she stated that they “made wave things.” So I asked her exactly what a wave thing was and she explained it to me.

It was a project using oil and water and food coloring to create a wave effect in a bottle much like a lava lamp works. She then informed me that she did not get to participate because they had run out of supplies before it was her turn. At this point I realized one of the ways that God has worked in my life in the last year.

If my daughter had made the above statement to me on Wednesday January 2, 2008, instead of January 7, 2009 she would have probably received this reply: “Oh well, I hate that for you.”

My response would not have been out of a lack of concern, but from my belief that things just happen and I can’t control what happens at school. But God had taught me one very valuable lesson in 2008; I can influence what happens in my home!

I can influence what happens at home. I was now on a mission! I needed bottled water, oil and food coloring. While we had plenty of water bottles like the one at right at home, this was not going to be good enough. I had to find a BIG water bottle.

I did, and with the oil and food coloring that we already had at home, I was ready to perform a wonderful and enlightening scientific experiment with my daughter.

The first attempt at making the “wave pool” was not successful. I determined that I had not used enough oil. The second attempt did not result much better. By the time we had stopped our experiment, my daughter, myself and the kitchen were covered in oil and food coloring of various colors; we had yet to achieve the desired result.

Each attempt brought a quizzical look on my daughter’s face that told me that it was not working like the ones at school did. I was waiting for the exasperation to set in and was already thinking of ways to apologize for not being able to help her successfully create the wave pool.

But something very interesting happened. I looked at her and said, “I think that’s the best I can do.” She turned to me and said “Okay, thanks, it’s cool anyway.” Right then, God completed that portion of my lesson. Not only had I acquired a desire to become involved, my efforts, although unsuccessful, were appreciated; it was not the result that mattered to my daughter, it was the effort.

I learned the same thing from my oldest daughter over the summer as I became totally immersed in her activities; results are secondary to the love and time that are given.