Stinky Strikes Again

Our excited little dog ran outside into the darkness with the small steak bone we gave him. But not two minutes later ran back inside, boneless and with a frightened and bewildered look on his face. Then we got the whiff of what happened. It seems the skunk chased Scout to the door, and thankfully its spray missed the dog but hit the doorway outside and into the house. We scrubbed for hours, trying to get rid of the odor, and two days later, only a trace amount was left. This incident reminded me of Scout’s first ordeal with Mr. Stinky three years ago; he wasn’t so fortunate that time:  

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. Once I knew there was no 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 outdoors, and, as with most mornings, he is hot on the trail of some creature that walked about outside 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). But as God’s children, we should resemble our Father when life stinks and do good towards those who spitefully treat us. We are to imitate Him: He loved us, sinners, that we are, so much that He sent His Son to die for us (Rom 5:8). Without distinction, God allows good and evil for the just and unjust, knowing the hearts of every person and pardoning whom He will. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isa 55:7–9); we don’t know His intentions.

God said, “To Me belongeth vengeance and recompense (Deut 32:35). Paul writes: “Recompense no man evil for evil. . . avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. Dearly beloved, it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom 12:17, 19). God will repay the wrongs of others—He is supreme over all creation and holds all things in His hands. Living peaceably with others is sometimes difficult, but we are to strive for peace, trusting our Maker with the details. We must believe God 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-sized 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!