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| Bay and the Jeep |
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It has been four weeks now since the neighbor ran over Bay with his jeep. See my earlier post for  the details of that event. Bay is back to his normal self. He still has some scars and some patches where the hair is forever gone. No permanent physical damage though. He has been back in the water several times and continues to be a great water dog.
One thing about him that has changed...he has an anger towards that one jeep. If we walk by it, he will start to growl as we approach it, then even bark at it as we walk by it. I suppose I get some sort of sick justice from this when we walk by it on our midnight or early morning walks. I don't tell him not to bark. Probably something I need to repent from in there somewhere.
Today I am feeling really run down. Not sure, but I think I may be fighting off a virus. Seems to be plenty of them going around this year. Even though I am weak, I still need to get out of the house. I am the type of person that needs to get outside. I took Bay to the beach this morning to do his retrieves. He did great. While we were there, I thought about this whole episode with the Jeep.
It was a traumatic event. We all have them. These events change our lives. They change the way we think about people, ourselves, and our God. In some cases, they draw us closer together and draw us closer to God. In other cases, though, they drive a wedge into our relationships. In some cases, we let the event drive us away from God.
The traumatic event causes us pain. It doesn't always have to be physical pain. Actually, the physical pain seems to be the easiest to heal. There is emotional pain that lingers causing more damage if it isn't dealt with. There is also spiritual pain that brings a darkness into our soul. The pain is very real. God gave our bodies the ability to feel pain so we would know when we need to seek help. Pain is a warning sign that something is wrong and needs attention. To ignore it is foolish.
Psalm 38:6-8 (The Message) 5-8 The cuts in my flesh stink and grow maggots because I've lived so badly.
And now I'm flat on my face feeling sorry for myself morning to night.
All my insides are on fire, my body is a wreck.
I'm on my last legs; I've had it—
The traumatic event causes us to change. We will usually learn from the event. How many of us have said, "We won't do that again?" Yet, sometimes the hurt comes from loving someone who didn't love us. If that is the case, then the lesson learned shouldn't be "We won't do that again." For each event the lessons may be different. Sometimes the lessons are hard to understand. We may have difficulty knowing what the lesson is and how to learn to change our ways.
4:20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.
Healing takes time. Long after the physical scars are healed, the emotional and spiritual scars remain. If not treated properly, the sores can fester and even get worse. If the traumatic event is severe enough (traumatic events are severe by definition) then healing will require help from someone who has successfully been through something similar.
We need to help each other. We are in one camp or the other. We have been through a traumatic event or we are going through a traumatic event. Life is full of them. If we have been through one, then we need to reach out and help others come through similar ones. If you are going through one, you need to reach out to someone who has gone through what you are going through. The pain you are feeling means you need help. God wants you to get help. By going through the healing process, you are stronger.
12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 12:17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling? 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
As for Bay...well, he has the physical healing down. However, that emotional healing isn't there yet. To me, it makes me smile. No matter how much he growls or barks at the Jeep, it isn't going to change a thing. I have to wonder how many of us are in a similar situation. We have been physically healed, but still have the emotional trauma to deal with. We can cover it up fairly well. Yet, when we see that person who hurt us, inside we growl from a distance. We smile on the outside, but growl on the inside. Have we really been healed? Is that any way to continue living? Can we honestly expect change if we aren't willing to get help to heal?
I contend that God is sovereign and that traumatic events happen to mold our character into the person He wants us to be. If I am right, then not healing, not forgiving, not "getting over it", not learning the lesson only holds us back from the blessing He has planned for us.
3:3 For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared, 3:5 not by works `done' in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 3:6 which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
While Bay may not be a good example of the blessings being held back, he did give me a picture of how healing - physical, emotional, and spiritual - is so important.
Hopefully I will continue winning the battle against this virus. Thankfully it is not a traumatic event. As I do, Bay and I will continue our walks on the beach and our time with each other and with my God.
Just another day...a man, his dog, and his God.
Copyright, March 2008 |
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| To add a comment to "Bay and the Jeep" |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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| Fantastic, Voice! Much great truth here! I hope you are feeling better soon. If I were closer I'd take your laundry for you today! |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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| You are too kind Kathy. Thank you a thousand times. |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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| I think you should get Bay to pee on the Jeep! |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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You have tremendous insight. Have you thought about sitting down with Bay and talking about his anger towards the jeep? Our animals understand us. I really believe that. Bay is one of the smarter breeds, and he's trying to work through his feelings. Be his shrink!
When Abbie adopted Maddie for me, she came to me with a long scar on her forehead. She was afraid of people and other dogs. I worked with her, talking to her all of time, and gradually her barking became less ferocious. She will bark when someone comes to the door, but she greets them with wags and a grin. She will bark at dogs through the fence, but when I tell her to make friends, she will start wagging that tail. Now... the squirrels and other animals have become her friends. Her bark is friendly, unless she feels like I am threatened.
As for you, get better, Boss... take it easy. You're always on the go. Remember, Spring is coming - "the time when young men go to war".... LoL |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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| This is such a dust cover for your book, Voice. When is it coming out? |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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Gene, need to get my wife in space first...thanks.
Cathy, now that is creative!
Joey, you are probably right about Bay. I'll work with him, but Kelly is the one that can talk to him for a long time... |
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| March 15, 2008 |
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Bay needs some really great treats. Take him for ice cream! |
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| March 17, 2008 |
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| Voice, I'm so glad that I know what you're talking about regarding getting your wife into space. For just a second I had a Jackie Gleason flashback! |
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| April 25, 2008 |
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| All of you should know that Bay still growls at cars when they come by and he runs right out in front of them - I think to protect us. We are working on him to not do that, but this whole traumatic experience has been tough on him. |
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| April 26, 2008 |
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I hope Bay gets over it. Thanks for the update. |
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