I was 9 years old it was Christmas morning and what I had been asking God for was a puppy.When I woke up I immediately realized that it was Christmas morning. Wow!!! I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room and then stopped and just stared at all the gifts. Most of these were not there from the night before. Now I was old enough to know to wait for everyone especially mom and dad before snooping around the presents.   
That’s when it happened I heard a noise but where was it coming from? There it is again, I looked but I couldn’t see exactly where it was coming from. Now it happened again it seemed to be coming from that box behind the tree. Curiosity got the best of me so I walked to the tree to see what was making that noise. Could it be a puppy, was it a puppy, oh God let it please be a puppy. Then I heard another noise I looked and saw my parents and my sisters watching me. My dad nodded with approval for me to open the box with such a warm smile, I hope I never forget that smile. I then reached for the box my heart was beating so hard with anticipation I tore open the top of the box and their he was my puppy. Oh wow I have a puppy, look everyone I have a puppy. He was a golden ball of fur and he was mine. I picked him up and held him close and then went and showed everybody my dad 1^st then mom and then my sisters. Wow I have a dog, Thank you God.
As the morning unfolded and we opened the gifts my little dog which I had not named yet was into everything. Every time I turned around he was into some trouble. My sisters were complaining and I was trying to keep up with him but he was so very smart. He would act like he understood what I was saying and then lay still, then again another yell from another sister my puppy was in trouble again. That’s when his name came to me it was “Troubles”. And as time would prove he was named appropriately. The neighbors next door had their milk delivered every morning. And every morning “Troubles” would go and bite a small hole in the bottom of the carton and drink the milk. Well that was bad enough but he would drink a little and then walk away and let the rest just drain out meanwhile he would do the same to the next carton and the next and the next until all of the cartons were empty.
Next thing I knew my neighbors were knocking on the door complaining. I then would get into trouble because of “Troubles” and have to ride my bike to the store to replace the split milk with my own money.
I tried all kinds of ways to keep “Troubles” from getting into trouble. He was so smart I couldn’t lock him up I couldn’t keep him out of troubles. I was able to stop the milk stealing but then something else would be his target. But as he got older he was admired my all of my friends and neighbors as being the smartest dog in the town. I found that to teach him I needed to show him that it was to his best interest to learn by rewarding him for being good thru love. And showing him I was sad when he was bad.
God does that with us. He wants us to do what is right but he doesn’t force us He is very patient and loving with us. We want to do good when we love Him with all our heart. Paul speaks about this in Philemon 1:14      
“But without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not be forced, but done freely from your heart”.
This is what God desires of us, to do good because we love Him. For He loved us first, remember God also pays for the troubles that we cause thru His own blood.
Blessings
Tony