Having the Scents to Avoid Trouble

Curiosity can get you in trouble!! Being over-confident in yourself can get you in big trouble when you fail to observe the warnings in life. Sometimes we can get our noses too far into someone else's business and find that we have gone a little too far!!

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Such is the case of a skunk that kept leaving its scent each night around our house. Skunks are cute and curious little malodorous mammals that are mild-mannered, docile, and harmless...well, unless you get sprayed!! They attract attention of the curious unless experience causes one to escape in the other direction!!

Sunday morning, you know, when we are running late for church, we found that familiar skunk odor surrounding our house. Our Saint Bernard dog, Malka, just doesn't learn!! 

Last summer, she treed a bear!! Already this summer, she encountered a porcupine. Now, she fearlessly attacked a skunk that bravely ventured into her territory!! 

It was a short battle!! Malka won. The skunk was dead. Or did she loose?! Malka had no sense as she now has taken on the scent of the dead skunk. (Thankfully not too smelly)

Have you ever been curious about something you heard about on the news, only to find that it was too graphic with violence causing you to have trouble sleeping? To some extent we must keep up with the news, but maybe just before bed, it is better to read something to sooth our souls, like Psalms. We can be like the skunk and learn more than we ever wanted to know!! A skunk is confident in its defenses and unaware of its bad odor and can sometimes go too far, getting killed by its modern predator, the car!!

We can loose our caution for danger, and just like the skunk who entered Malka's domain, can disregard words and phrases that signal repeating words that turn into gossip. Words like, "I am only telling you..," or "You know, I don't know why our pastor does this or that," or "I am so tired of the way Mrs. Gray (I know no Mrs. Gray by the way) keeps talking and talking about...." or "Did you hear about her husband?" We must be very, very careful about the words we 'tack' onto our prayer requests, or being too talkative; which the bible says gets us into trouble!!

On the other hand, I don't want to be like Malka!! She went about evicting the skunk from her area in an unwise manner. Of course, she is a dog, and dogs do what dogs do. Her curiosity got the better of her!! 

Have you ever had your curiosity get the better of you??

I have!! 

There are times that I have wanted to know every detail of a situation later to find that knowing less is better. Not only can some information defile my conscience, it can be more than I need to know to intelligently pray for a wandering wayfarer. 

When we take our sin before the Throne of Grace, Jesus cleanses us with His precious blood. When we find our curiosity gets us into trouble like our resident skunk, we can do an about turn and start over again. We have a gracious God who is willing to forgive. If we have caused problems with another sister-in-Christ, like Malka who attacked the skunk, we can repent and renew the relationship and forgive. 

My son and daughter, armed themselves with a shovel and went into the woods to 'take care' of the skunk this morning. Before church, there was only time to move it out of the dog's reach. They came back shocked that it was totally GONE without a trace!! 

God cares for his animals in such a way that when they die it is put to another use. Vultures likely took care of the carcass much as God removes confessed sin totally so that there is no trace!! 

I am thankful that when I 'blow it', God is gracious and forgiving when I repent.

How have animals taught you lessons about God??

In Christ Alone,

Judith

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