We have always had pets, usually a dog and cat or two. We had Hannah our
huge Irish Setter through three houses and two states, a bit high strung and a
good protector. We got her from a sheriff’s deputy in Durango who couldn’t keep
her, and she was still a pup. But even then, she was aggressive, when feeding
her, sometimes she would grab your hand, and hold it in her mouth. Her food-you
were just the feeder. She would play with our other dogs, and often get carried
away, more than once I had to choke her until she went limp to get her to let go
of another dog. She was an outdoor dog, and when we lived at Vallecito Lake,
loved to go ice fishing with Sam, our elderly neighbor, coming back reeking of
fish. He would throw her the small ones instead of throwing them back. So when
we moved into suburbia, she was restricted to a fenced in back yard, and
couldn’t run free any more. And one of her last territorial aggressions was
when she was tied to our apple tree out front so we could work in the back
yard. We heard a blood curdling scream, followed by barking, and went to
investigate. She had met the mail lady, who went out of her way to cross
Hannah’s path. And got bit for it. And after complaining that Hanna bit her, I
felt sympathy, but stood by Hanna, telling her “if you aren’t smart enough to
avoid a barking dog tied to a tree, that is what you get.” No one messed with
Hannah. The one ingredient missing from the Postal creed, no rain, no snow
wills top them from their appointed duty. Best to let sleeping dogs lie,
barking ones too.
Caesar was Hannah’s dog mate when we moved to Farmington. He was a 120
pound Alaskan Malamute who had once been a sled dog, and had the size and
shoulders to prove it. I brought him home when we moved to New Mexico and a
freeze plug blew out in the 1949 F-3 Ford. My friend Dave fixed it, he was a
mechanic, and Caesar was tied up at his shop, too big for any apartment. And it
was love at first sight, and he leaned against me while riding in the cab for 50
miles. He was mellow, his blue eyes always smiling, and rarely growled, it was
serious if he did. He was content to find shade from the heat, and Hannah ruled
the yard. They even had to be fed separately because she would eat his food.
We felt confident that no one would enter our back yard with those two present,
and even when I would be out back, Caesar would circle me and protect me,
guarding me from even our friends, but yet gentle to my two sons. But Caesar
had a secret weapon, one that disabled his opponent. Painlessly, yet
effectively. We first saw him in action one afternoon when we let him in the
house. He never came in, but today was different. Christopher was playing with
Castle Greyskull of He-Man fame, and got up to hug Caesar. After a hug, Caesar
ambled over to Castle Greyskull, sniffed, then lifted his leg and liquidated the
Castle! Then ran out through the back door, I mean through the door-it was
closed, never to come inside again. Christopher was heartbroken, “he peed on
Castle Greyskull!” he cried for days, and after a thorough cleaning, it was back
to normal, but the stench of battle still remained, just not urine. But
Caesar’s legacy had just begun, as I was to find out.
I was home sick one day, when a knock came on the door. The man wanted to
read the gas meter, could I put the dogs in the garage for him. I got Hannah in
OK, and left Caesar sleeping under his bush. Soon another knock came at the
door, “could you please put that other dog inside, too?” I explained Caesar
never bit anyone, and might not even come out from under his bush. Again the
man pleaded, asking me, “please can you put him in, last time I was here here
wet on me!” Caesar and his silent weapon, the same one used to liquidate Castel
Greyskull was also effective on meter readers too. And his legend lives on,
even today, some 27 years later.
It has been said that the devil seeks to destroy us, prowling around like a
roaring lion. Yet many times the battle is like Caesar, we just get wet on, and
infuriated. No real damage done, but our pride and ego are damaged, and soon we
don’t look at things as we should. We have given the devil a foothold, and he
will take advantage of any leverage he can get. We need to remind ourselves
that as children of God, nothing can happen to us that God doesn’t know about or
allow. Sometimes the bad times are tests, sometimes God wants to brag on us,
and allows a Job like situation to occur. But in all things, the battle we face
is not flesh and blood, but of a spiritual nature. And we must recognize that.
It is easy to turn on friends and loved ones, allowing Satan that foothold, but
it can be easily won victory over by forgiveness. Jesus sets the example,
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Too
much time is spent being hurt seeking revenge, when we could be using it to love
instead. By the way, the only command Jesus gave us, to love Him and our
neighbor as ourselves. And our neighbors are anyone one we met, Lazarus’s laid
before us by God to bless, or be blessed by. How we handle them is up to us,
but too often we take the Caesar approach, while a bite from Hannah would not
have been as painful. We are told to be gentle as lambs, but wise as serpents,
often we are gentle as serpents, and as wise as sheep. Sheep who are the
dumbest animals around, they make cows look smart. Maybe God had something
there when He made the comparison. But do we get it?
Forgiveness starts with you. Forgive yourself as Jesus has forgiven you,
then pass it on to others. Repent, and try to go a new direction, only possible
with God’s help. Our old sin nature is ever ready to attack, just waiting for
he perfect moment. But we are more than overcomers, scripture tells us. So be
forgiven, forgive others, and go on with your life. Don’t look back, set your
sights on things on high. For where you eyes go, the body will follow. Works
while riding too.
We still laugh about the day Caesar liquidated Castle Greyskull, and about
the wet meter reader. But those two dogs weren’t the tough ones. It was
Maestas, our 8 pound cat, who ruled over both dogs. And ruled the
neighborhood. She wasn’t afraid to take on someone 15 times her size, she knew
her power. We have that same power in Christ, so don’t be intimidated by the
devil. Resist him and he will flee. Go and love someone and make his aim even
more useless. A lesson learned at Castle Greyskull, and its liquidation. From
Caesar, the liquidator! A sleeping dog best left lying.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com