The Welch Terrier that we have thinks it’s his job to chase
anything that moves: tires on a car, squirrels, cats, birds, and—in
particular—balls. He is quite the athlete, and if it were legal for him to be
on a soccer team, he’d be playing in the World Cup.
One Sunday, my husband was grilling and enjoying watching
Sammy continuously roll his ball in the lake, jump in, and start the routine
all over again. My teen-aged daughter
and a crew of her friends showed up after a trip to the Flea Market with two
baby ducks. My husband warned them to keep the precious ducks away from Sammy
because he feared that he would grab one for a “duckling sandwich.” The girls
let the ducklings swim in the hot tub and because Sammy appeared to be of no
threat they went onto the lawn to let them play.
Sammy continued to play and seemed to be preoccupied with
his ball. The girls soon forgot about
the possible danger. Until, like a flash, he made his move and snatched one of
the ducklings and ran. Several girls were screaming. My husband and a few of
the other girls were chasing him around the house yelling, “Sammy, stop!”
This sequence of events reminds me of how often I’m warned
to stay away from something, but for some reason, I let my guard down and the
very thing I’m warned about happens! For years now, my mom has warned me that I
may not have my priorities in order. Failing to heed her warning has caused me
some major grief. In Proverbs we are told that, “Intelligent children listen to
their parents: foolish children do their own thing.” (13:1 MSG).
The dog and duckling story doesn’t end as disastrous as it
sounds. Sammy got tired of the duckling and eventually spit him onto a bush and
ran back to find his ball. The duckling was traumatized but unhurt. I’m trying
to follow my mother’s advice and reassess my priorities in hopes that my story
will also have a happy ending!
Michele
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