"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."
I was reading the latest edition of the Pennsylvania Game News that brother Earl gives to me after he's finished perusing and came across an interesting article about raccoons - "masked bandits."
Belonging to the family class named, "Procyonidaes" (don't you just love learning new words you can use at Thanksgiving!), they are nocturnal, have 3-5 offspring called "kits" (refer once again to the above parenthetical), have five fingers that they use much like a human, are Covid-ready in that they prefer to wash their hands and food before eating, and they have retractable claws that are much stronger than our finger nails. And...they are soooooo cute. You just want to cradle them like a little baby and give them a bottle of milk while gazing into those big brown eyes.
Oh...one more thing...they are vicious and are the second most infectious carriers of rabies next to bats. They have been known to attack deer when pursuing food (legal bait sold that is illegal to use 😜 ), when cornered or when you get between it and her young. In other words, they're not pets. They're animals with attitudes. It is how they survive, especially down in Philly where they are having a raccoon population problem because of the amount of free food and housing.
My animal attitude has been coming out of late and I'm not alone. I feel threatened by BLM, Antifa, irresponsible neighborhood dog owners, and politics in general but I won't even go there. I feel like I'm under attack as a white, male, conservative, Christian, non-dog owner in ways that I have never felt before. Seeing old people in Portland and in Seattle being blocked from crossing the street by thugs masquerading as social justice proponents. Threatening to burn down homes that display the American flag. Stupid Covid requirements that have nothing to do with public safety but with public control and politics. Deep breath. I feel the beast rising. And yes, dogs barking as soon as I step outside of my house.
I don't have an answer to the BLM/Antifa/non-stop barking dogs problem...well, I do and they're both fully loaded. Whoops. There I go again. Let's start over. I don't have an answer to the BLM/Antifa/dog problem but God does. He very clearly tells me to listen...listen to the genuine concerns but listen more closely to the heart. They are unbelievers. They are in need of salvation. They need Jesus, not conjured up demonic spirits promoting a spirit of lawlessness. And...they're going to need that dog when I'm in heaven and they are stuck here on earth with the Antichrist.
Be slow to speak. Amos 5:13 says, "Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil."
Be slow to become angry because it doesn't produce the righteousness that God desires. I am reminded of the description that Peter gives me of Jesus - "When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly."
I want to be like Jesus. I'll be in prayer. I'll repent of my sinful anger. I'll listen. I'll be slow to speak. I'll trust the Lord. I might even buy a box of dog treats...mmmmm...I don't think so.
He's still working on me and the raccoons.
No comments:
Post a Comment