A few weeks ago, I posted My Daily Walk (Psalms and Prayers). It briefly expressed some the joys and beauty that are available to us all in our daily routines. A testament to the simple pleasures in life as they in turn inspire us towards a greater Glory.
Today, not so much. My jaw was set as I ventured out the front door and I must confess to a certain amount of trepidation as I headed out through the neighborhood. Some of those misgivings perhaps for good reason.
Yesterday had started out as so many others - sun shining warm on my back, gentle breeze, an osprey soared past as it headed towards it's favorite hunting grounds. Yup, a beautiful day. Something inside me said "Let's go a longer route today....around the park....you haven't done that for awhile" and on that whim I crossed over to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Not too far along, was a vacant lot with a motor home parked on it. The RV was parked perpendicular to the sidewalk with the nose of vehicle butted up to the sidewalk. All was quiet as I passed the front of the vehicle but as I gained field of vision to the other side, two dogs were rough-housing near the back wheel well. Maybe 30 feet away. The smaller dog was on its back in a submissive position and tied to the back fender while the larger dog bounded over and about freely.
My impression is that the larger dog sensed my presence as it to started barking before we made eye contact and as the animal turned towards me, I could see it had a pit bull-shaped head with maybe a black lab's body - 50 to 70 pounds. With that, it ran towards me, barking, while I tried to show it my hands in a non-threatening manner and softly confirming "It's OK big fella". Those actions had no effect but to my relief, the dog's path took it in front of me, over the sidewalk and out into the street where it made a wide turn. Circling back, the dog gained speed and being the master of understatement, I remember thinking "This could be trouble." Coming straight at me, it launched itself from about six feet out. I'm not sure if it's intent was to knock me over with a direct blow or grab my right forearm with it's mouth. No matter. Amazingly, the animal totally whiffed save for it's back right foot grazing my right thigh as it flew by.
Turning to face the animal, I could see that my good fortune had really pissed him off (excuse my vernacular). The barking was now superseded with growls and a menacing snarl with barred teeth and wrinkled nose. While snarling, the dog crouched on the sidewalk maybe 15 feet away, all the while sizing me up. Again, I tried to show submissive hands but this time there were no words. The time for reasoning had come and gone. I slowly took a step back but the movement triggered the dog to charge.
This time I "felt" that the dog was going for an ankle. Somewhere between 5 and 10 feet, the dog's intention's seemed set and I instinctively dropped into an offensive lineman's pass protection stance. The whole episode seems imprinted on my brain as I clearly remember saying to myself "square him up" while clenching my fists. I've guess I've watched too many Seattle Seahawks football games. Yes, braced for impact yet totally defenseless. For unknown reasons, within a foot of my shin, the dog pulled up, lingered for a few seconds beneath me, and then backed away, all the time snarling and never taking his eyes off me. As the dog backed away, I slowly took a step or two backwards as well and resumed a palm's up posture.
Again, at about 15 feet apart, the dog crouched, as if coiling his muscles for his next launch. One second...two...three..... then another foray and consequent fighting posture. Once more, inches from inflicting serious damage, the dog abruptly aborted his mission.
The cycle continued. Four, maybe five, times. Finally, the dog must have decided that he had driven me from his "territory" and with that, he casually turned and trotted towards home. Seemingly, quite proud of himself.
Believe me, I did not pursue the fight. Thirty seconds, at most a minute, was more than enough of this excitement for one morning. I have never experienced such hostile intensity from neither man nor beast. Continuing the walk for a bit and taking inventory, I found nary a hair out of place. However, soon my pounding heart would not be ignored and my shirt was found to be soaking wet. It's good to know that the old adrenal, eccrine, and apocrine glands still work but some body parts just shouldn't be exercised at 74 years of age. Heading for home, the residents of that RV, both human and canine, were given a wide berth.
The suddenness and ferocity of yesterday's incident has left me....shaken. Not physically but certainly emotionally and even spiritually. Time heals all wounds. This too will pass. But in this moment I am washed with a sense of helplessness and haunted by a constant replay of "What-if's?" - a stumble, a flinch, even a blink at the wrong millisecond and the outcome might have been very different.
But I am sure of one thing, my God was there as well. I view the whole incident as somewhat of a miracle especially in light of that first fly-by. I'm not exactly some sort of lightning quick Brazilian Jui-Jitsu athlete who was able to out-reflex his opponent.
Yes. I believe in guardian angels and in that frenetic minute of yesterday morning I believe that God sent a guardian spirit to intervene between tooth and flesh.
Still, if that is true, it begs the question, "Why did God allow any of it happen in the first place?"
For an answer to that one, I turned to my resident therapist (yes, to say it plainly, I am somewhat traumatized) and theologian, Jamie. True to form, she had an answer: "God isn't trying to teach you anything. You are like Job and God is using you to teach Satan...."
Well, those were her words, not mine. I fear that previous paragraph sounds like total hubris on my part. Regardless, her answer does resonate for me to a more common question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I surely do not know but I do believe that there are spiritual battles taking place in the here and now, and sometimes we are drawn into those battles for a greater purpose, God's purpose. I take comfort with the thought that maybe, just maybe, the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Doug, ....?"
Postscript:
On the day of the incident, when I got home, Jamie affirmed for me that the incident should be reported to police department. So, I called and they forwarded me to Animal Control. The two dogs and the owners in the RV had previously been reported by others but there was nothing that the authorities could do as the RV was on private property and the dogs were inside the RV when Animal Control had visited. Unless someone was physically injured, their hands were tied. However, the officer promised that another visit to the RV would be made in the near future.
Finally, Jamie, in her capacity as therapist, suggested that I write this. "The writing will help you process." Again, she was spot on. Thanks for reading.
God is good. God's will be done.
