Actual call at my work the other day: lady called to say she thought she might need animal control, but she wasn't sure. Seems two dogs were mating in the side yard of her house. Not usually a problems, dogs do that. The problem is, the male was a large dog, about 50 lbs, and the female was very small... a chihuahua.
That wasn't in itself the problem. Seems, as they are mating, as dogs do, nature somehow went a bit awry. The male was having a very hard time disengaging himself from the little female, and was running around in the front yard and on the street.... dragging the little female with him.
I was dumbfounded and befuddled. I've never, ever heard of this before, but, to the howls and yelps of a couple of dogs in the background, the kind lady assured me this was not a prank phone call.
I immediately called the animal control office and advised the dispatcher there of the situation. She was, as I was, dumbfounded and befuddled. She'd never heard of this happening either! She had to put me on hold a moment and ask her supervisor exactly what would animal control do? Well, she took the callers name and phone number and assured me she'd call her.
Just goes to show you, if you wait long enough, the entire world will pass by your doorstep.
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On an unrelated note, I really have a hard time with judgemental Christians.
I am a Christian, a born-again believer in Jesus who believes he is saved by grace, through faith, and not of anything I have done so that I can't boast about it. Having said that, I know that I am judgmental about many things in life, but I try not to judge the depth or strength or validity of what one believes when it comes to faith. That doesn't mean I won't gladly discuss my views, debate the issues around religion and faith, and talk about whatever I feel passionate about, because it is my fervent belief that my faith has to be able to stand up to being kicked around by folks who have different viewpoints. This is all natural, normal, and healthy. But I try hard to refrain from judging how strong one's faith IN their faith is, or, in the case of fellow Christians, of judging how good of a Christian they are.
I signed up long ago, right after my x-wife and I broke up, on a Christian dating site. I've been inactive on that site for over a year, but every once in a while, I get a "someone is interested in you!" e-mail, so I go and look. Usually I find an e-mail from a cute 22-year-old Russian girl who sent the same e-mail to about 10,000 other guys, wanting to marry an American and come to the US. Whatever.
This time it was from a lady who was, I think, trying to be helpful but just really missed the mark in my book. I post it in its entirety here, unedited, with all the spelling errors intact:
"Many people have suffered as a result of broken marriages. Divorce is like a death yet the other family members are still alive. Ond of the parent will suffer the loss of a relationship with the children. The children will also suffer from the loss of a relationship with the not custodial parent. The parents will always b connected because of the children. God's ways are the best and if we disobey people suffer. Work it out Don't be so selfisn centered."
Ok, she starts with the "marriage good, divorce bad, children of divorce will suffer" thing, which I think most of us will agree with in principal. My first thought was "ya think?" Anyone who's ever contemplated divorce has already thought about all these things, and gotten advice from myriads of sources. Thank you very much.
God's way are best - agreed, in my book. If we disobey, people suffer - again, as a Christian, in my book I am generally agreed. When people break the Ten Commandments, usually someone gets hurt.
"Work it out, don't be so self centered"?
Ok... here's where I just have a huge problem with the judgementalness of so many Christians. How does anyone know what my frame of mind has been while I've been going through my separation and divorce? How does anyone know if I've been selfish, or gallantly selfless while trying to save my children from a monstrous situation that would have deteriorated into chaos if God had not given me the spine to finally end it with my x-wife?
So many Christians automatically take the "you can never divorce, God will always find a way, it is ALWAYS God's will that the family stay together" stand, that is so very wrong, in my book. No one knows what God's will is for any one person, except themselves and God. NO ONE. Not even my closest fellow brother and sister in Christ knows what's in my heart, and how my relationship is with my God, just as I haven't the faintest clue what the true state of their relationship with God is.
Jesus' command was simple - Love God first in your life with all you have, and love your neighbor as yourself.
No judging. No nagging. No second guessing. Be kind. Have compassion. Put yourself in their place.
Just love one another.
It's not that hard a concept, but one I fear so many of my fellow Christians have a hard time with. It's not an easy thing for me to hold to, and I don't always do so well as I'd like, but I'm sure trying my best, and I wish more Christians would do the same.
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