The Devil and a Barking Dog

There was a young man that lived with us growing up in Loveland.  He’s not so young now, in fact last I saw him he didn’t have a lick of hair on his head.  I’ll call him Jon P.  He was one of my Dad’s friends brother, and for various reasons, he lived with us until he finished High School.

One day we were hauling hay from the field and stacking it.  My Grandpa (we called him Bummy because as kids, my brother and I couldn’t say grandpa and he became Bumpa.  It was gradually shortened as we got older.) Drove a 55 Chevy pickup, and it was sitting in the field.  My Dad told Jon and Andy (my Mom’s brother), "one of you go back and get Bummy’s pickup”.  They were both about 15 and just learning to drive so the race was on.  They ran like rabbits being chased by coyotes.  Jon beat Andy and grabbed the door to the pickup.  Unbeknownst to the boys, Bummy's old dog Zeke was laying underneath the pickup.  No one touched that pickup without Bummy being there when she was around. 

Now Zeke was a very protective dog.  She started out as my Dad’s dog, but after being bite by her a couple of times…he gave her to his father-in-law.   She was completely devoted to Bummy.  She was also a little sensitive and if you ran up on her fast she would bite. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

This is not Zeke, but Ol' Jon thought he was runnig from something like this!

Jon had grabbed the truck door and Zeke came flying out from underneath the pickup.  Barking and snarling acting like she was going to eat him.  Well, of course the race was on.  Jon made a couple of rounds around the pickup and it was pretty close.  Every time Jon went by the door, he would open it a little wider.  Finally he got it open enough for his body and he jumped in and slammed the door.  Now when you are being chased by a barking snarling dog, and the only escape is to get in the very thing the dog was protecting…you’re only thought is to do it fast. 

Jon jumped in and slammed the door shut, probably giving thanks and maybe boasting in his head about how he beat the dog.  Unfortunately he left a portion of his anatomy sticking out.  It wasn’t something as recoverable as a finger, arm or leg.  Noooo, Jon had gotten everything in but his head. 

If you’ve ever jerked your finger out after slamming it in a door, then multiply that by 10 or so.  Jon finally got his head in, but smashed his hat pretty good.   Good thing he was 15, which might have hurt someone whose head wasn’t so thick!

I guess the moral of the story is that just because you won the foot race, doesn’t mean you are the winner!

Or…

The devil is like a barking biting dog, just waiting under the “truck” of your God led journey…just waiting to jump out and bite you!  Be sure you have your head/life is in line with Jesus, so that you don’t slam it in the door!