When Life Stinks

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

Awakened from a sound sleep at six o’clock in the morning with, “We have a problem,” is not the most desirable way to begin a day. After my mind processed that this was not a medical emergency, I asked, “What’s wrong?”

Before you learn what happened, let me say that our little dog does not have one ounce of maliciousness in him. He is the most friendly and likable dog we have ever owned and dearly loves the outdoors. After he awakens each morning, he goes outside. And, as with most mornings, he is immediately hot on the trail of some creature that walked about outside our house as we slept—such is life in the country. But this morning, Scout was not trailing the usual rabbit, squirrel, or raccoon but was introduced to Mr. Skunk. He only wanted to say Hello, but the little critter sprayed him in the mouth, unaware of our dog’s cordial intentions to play with a new friend. (Beware of the friends you choose in life!) After his encounter, Scout ran indoors, drooling everywhere, including on the only rug in our house. We handled the problem in stride—we put “stinky” outside until we enjoyed our morning coffee. Afterward, we tackled the house and dog odor.

Bad things happen to good people (and animals). When life stinks, as God’s children, we should resemble Him, do good towards those who spitefully treat us. We are to imitate our Father: He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, sinners that we are (Romans 5:8). Without distinction, God allows good and evil for the just and unjust; He knows the heart of every person and pardons whom He will. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:7–9). God said vengeance belongs to Him, not us. He holds all things in His hands; we must trust He honors His Word, or we will be most miserable. This morning I thanked God for today’s life stink. Why? The answer will be in tomorrow’s devotional.

FYI:  To neutralize skunk odor for a medium-size dog: Mix ¼ cup baking soda, two teaspoons mild laundry detergent, one bottle of peroxide, and ½ bottle of water—use at once. Work the mixture well into the coat and leave it on for five minutes. Rinse well. Then rinse with a solution of one cup vinegar and 5 cups water, followed by a bath using your pet’s regular shampoo. Odor gone!