The Dog

I was mowing the yard yesterday when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a frog jump in front of me. I slowed down to do everything possible not to run over the frog. I think I was successful.

This reminded me of when I was 15. We were coming home from church and I was driving under my permit, with my dad sitting next to me. We lived in the country, but there was a mix of homes–some had acreage, some were farms and others were more suburban houses, as we had recently had an influx of those at the time.

The route home involved driving 2 ½ miles down an oiled country road. (Before asphalt was used, our county graded the road and sprayed oil on it like the movie “Cool Hand Luke”.) This particular country road had a few 90 degree turns and two large hills. (I wrote a devotion about a snowstorm where my dad and I had to push a car up this hill because the driver hadn’t put on snow tires.)

I was going up the second hill when a dog darted in front of me. I didn’t have time to react and, unfortunately, hit him. He died instantly. There was no way to know whose dog it was because we were close to a newer suburban area and, at that time, no one made any effort to keep their dog on their property.

My dad, in one of his rarer supportive moments, told me there was nothing I could have done. He also reassured me that had I tried to avoid hitting the dog given the narrow country road, I’d likely have flipped the car and maybe killed all of us.

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” - Romans 15:1-7 ESV

My dad did not offer supportive and encouraging comments often. In fact, he was more the type to yell at me for not holding the flashlight where he wanted it, if you know what I mean.

Even though this happened almost 50 years ago, my heart still aches for the family that lost their pet that day. In some ways, that experience encouraged me to be a more observant driver. I avoided countless squirrels and several deer in the ensuing years. As I replayed the incident in my mind many times after it happened, I had to agree with my dad that I couldn’t have avoided the accident. Unfortunately, I never found out who the dog belonged to.

This still didn’t eliminate my guilt. It wasn’t till years later when I turned my guilt over to Christ that I felt closure.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-10