You Are Not Alone
By Janice Price
In my mind, I can picture Moses as he stood before the burning bush telling God he was inadequate for the task God was appointing him to undertake because he was slow of speech and not an eloquent speaker. I am not an eloquent speaker either, but I am definitely not slow of speech. In fact, when I am nervous, my brain goes into idle and my mouth shifts into fast forward. I was drafted as secretary of the neighborhood watch because I can take notes, not because I can read them at a speed they can be understood.
Like Moses, I would not voluntarily speak in public - particularly on a controversial subject - but sometimes we have to rise above timidity and speak out, perhaps even take action.
Several years ago, I lived in a big city, in an apartment complex with severe safety issues – things like broken outside cement stair steps, collapsing ceilings from a leaking roof, and water collecting in some light fixtures when it rained. None of us could afford to move, but something had to be done to spur the owner into making repairs he knew were necessary but refused to make. For reasons I won’t go into here, I made the decision to report the owner to the city, knowing I would have to stand alone. The other tenants could stand behind me in “spirit” only, and one way or another I would have to move.
Just as soon as the first inspector left, management began a campaign of harassment, intimidation and threats. It was one of the most terrifying times I have ever been through, but the city persevered and, eventually, the necessary repairs were made. By that time, I was living elsewhere.
Today, I live in a small city where the modern building code does not apply to this old mill house, built in 1926. My landlord and his wife are likeable people. I hate the thought of making trouble for them, but they do not respond to phone calls or letters about the condition of this rental house.
Eight months ago a tree branch fell onto the electric line, tearing the electric line loose and damaging the pole on the house. Last week I asked for something specific to spur the landlord into action. I was told, “The city electric company said if the pole is not replaced and another branch falls on the line, or with the right set of circumstances, the house will burn.” That is pretty specific. I left that message and the landlord has still not responded.
I am not in a position, either physically (my energy level has been at least six feet underground again for weeks) or financially, to move. And even if I could move before “the right set of circumstances” arise, a new tenant would move in who has no idea of the danger.
Everywhere I turn, I am told there is nothing I can do about this situation (a situation that is only the “icing” on the problems of the summer). So I asked a few friends to pray.
Vicki Gaines, a fellow Crossmap writer, posted a prayer request on her blog site. You can read “Calling all prayer warriors!” archived under October 11, 2005, on http://windowstomysoul.blogspot.com/ . I learned about this post from one of the messages it generated on my Mercy and Percy site.
I was touched to tears by Vicki’s concern and her desire for me “to feel the love of all the saints while experiencing the mighty provision of our Jehovah Jireh (the God who provides!)."
I was encouraged by her reminder that “our Lord is able to make a way when there seems to be no way.”
And her comment, “Jan, you are not alone!” - it was a reminder of that frightful time I did stand alone. Oh, David, an engineer, helped initially and he received well-deserved praise from his peers. Other friends prayed and neighbors gave moral support from a distance, but when I returned to the apartment, I was alone. I don’t know if anyone ever knew how absolutely terrified I was. I spent a lot of time in the Bible and in prayer through that ordeal. I can’t imagine what might have happened without God’s protection.
It is not necessarily a good idea to post a public prayer request without permission, but Vicki, thankfully, was discreet.
“Jan, you are not alone.” How could Vicki know those words would have a special meaning and be the most encouraging? She did not know. But God did.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://www.mercyandpercy.com
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Thursday, October 06, 2005
CHANGING CHANNELS
Changing Channels
By Janice Price
Without taking a moment to don my reading glasses, I pressed the buttons to change the television channel. I pressed the buttons again and again. Frustrated, I shifted in the chair so I was leaning closer to the TV set, squinted at the small numbers and pressed them yet again.
Then, realizing the problem – and relieved there were no witnesses – I laid the cordless phone down on the desk and picked up the TV remote. I pressed the buttons and this time the channel changed.
I used to laugh at the stories of the absent-minded person who put the milk in the bureau drawer and the wristwatch in the refrigerator, or who arrived at the store with the credit card bill after mailing the credit card company the shopping list.
Only yesterday I was reminded that in order to cash a check, I should write the same amount in numbers as I do in longhand. The teller kindly told me, “Don’t feel bad about it. We see a lot of this.” She did not make me feel any the less embarrassed, but she did let me know I am not alone in being absent-minded, in too great a hurry, error-prone, or pre-senile.
Pride often keeps us from admitting to others that we make mistakes, especially whoppers, although we seldom mind telling stories on others’ mistakes. Comics love to tell stories on anyone, even themselves, and the more outlandish the greater the response from the audience. But writers – Christian writers, in particular – often write about their own experiences, including their own mistakes.
We do this to encourage others. After all, we goof big time and survive. Bloopers are a part of life, even stupid or klutzy ones, and they are not the end of the world. Okay, so you were half-asleep when you dressed this morning and attended a meeting wearing a purple polka dot blouse with yellow striped pants. There are worse things that could happen than to be laughed at by the self-appointed office fashion police.
We also tell stories on ourselves to show that when God is an integral part of our lives, we are constantly learning, even in everyday situations. For the most part, we exist in the mundane, only occasionally rising to the mountaintop. God teaches me through my pets, daily tasks, friendships, health problems, setbacks, victories – basically, through any situation that arises. I have to admit I’m not always paying attention or quick on the uptake, but eventually I catch on to what God is trying to teach me. Then, I write about it and share the lesson with others.
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think. Edwin Schlossberg.
Often I think no one bothers to read the stories. Most people do not take a moment to email a comment on a story, but then someone will write about what a specific story “said” to that particular person, and I will be amazed at how God has used a story to help, encourage, convict, or teach someone something.
I remember hearing something to the effect that a minister gives more than one sermon at a time: the one he thinks he is giving and the one the congregation hears. Yes, one sermon can “speak” one thing to the minister giving it and something else to each of the listeners. The same appears to be true of the written word. One story can make one person cry, another angry, another contemplative, and another encouraged.
The best example of skillful writing that makes people think is the Bible. People love it, hate it, eagerly devour it, or destroy it. They are outraged or inspired by it. It is often misunderstood, misquoted, and misapplied, but it is enduring.
The Word of God is living, strengthening, and enlightening. If I try to change television channels with a cordless telephone instead of the remote, I have an embarrassing moment and a funny story. But if I want to know God intimately, I can not substitute any or all of the books on religion for Scripture. Other books can be helpful, but there is only one Holy Bible.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://www.mercyandpercy.com
By Janice Price
Without taking a moment to don my reading glasses, I pressed the buttons to change the television channel. I pressed the buttons again and again. Frustrated, I shifted in the chair so I was leaning closer to the TV set, squinted at the small numbers and pressed them yet again.
Then, realizing the problem – and relieved there were no witnesses – I laid the cordless phone down on the desk and picked up the TV remote. I pressed the buttons and this time the channel changed.
I used to laugh at the stories of the absent-minded person who put the milk in the bureau drawer and the wristwatch in the refrigerator, or who arrived at the store with the credit card bill after mailing the credit card company the shopping list.
Only yesterday I was reminded that in order to cash a check, I should write the same amount in numbers as I do in longhand. The teller kindly told me, “Don’t feel bad about it. We see a lot of this.” She did not make me feel any the less embarrassed, but she did let me know I am not alone in being absent-minded, in too great a hurry, error-prone, or pre-senile.
Pride often keeps us from admitting to others that we make mistakes, especially whoppers, although we seldom mind telling stories on others’ mistakes. Comics love to tell stories on anyone, even themselves, and the more outlandish the greater the response from the audience. But writers – Christian writers, in particular – often write about their own experiences, including their own mistakes.
We do this to encourage others. After all, we goof big time and survive. Bloopers are a part of life, even stupid or klutzy ones, and they are not the end of the world. Okay, so you were half-asleep when you dressed this morning and attended a meeting wearing a purple polka dot blouse with yellow striped pants. There are worse things that could happen than to be laughed at by the self-appointed office fashion police.
We also tell stories on ourselves to show that when God is an integral part of our lives, we are constantly learning, even in everyday situations. For the most part, we exist in the mundane, only occasionally rising to the mountaintop. God teaches me through my pets, daily tasks, friendships, health problems, setbacks, victories – basically, through any situation that arises. I have to admit I’m not always paying attention or quick on the uptake, but eventually I catch on to what God is trying to teach me. Then, I write about it and share the lesson with others.
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think. Edwin Schlossberg.
Often I think no one bothers to read the stories. Most people do not take a moment to email a comment on a story, but then someone will write about what a specific story “said” to that particular person, and I will be amazed at how God has used a story to help, encourage, convict, or teach someone something.
I remember hearing something to the effect that a minister gives more than one sermon at a time: the one he thinks he is giving and the one the congregation hears. Yes, one sermon can “speak” one thing to the minister giving it and something else to each of the listeners. The same appears to be true of the written word. One story can make one person cry, another angry, another contemplative, and another encouraged.
The best example of skillful writing that makes people think is the Bible. People love it, hate it, eagerly devour it, or destroy it. They are outraged or inspired by it. It is often misunderstood, misquoted, and misapplied, but it is enduring.
The Word of God is living, strengthening, and enlightening. If I try to change television channels with a cordless telephone instead of the remote, I have an embarrassing moment and a funny story. But if I want to know God intimately, I can not substitute any or all of the books on religion for Scripture. Other books can be helpful, but there is only one Holy Bible.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://www.mercyandpercy.com
Thursday, September 08, 2005
A TIME FOR GOD’S LOVE IN ACTION
A Time For God's Love In Action
By Janice Price
The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation is hard to fathom. The sheer number of evacuees, now called refugees by many, has overwhelmed government and disaster agencies. One of the chief complaints is that there has been – and continues to be – a lack of leadership in the ranks of those who are supposedly our protectors and leaders.. This has cost many lives and wasted time and resources.
Volunteers are called upon. They respond and are left sitting, anxious and eager to do whatever job they have been trained to do, but no one seems to know what to do with them. So much valuable time that could have been invested in saving lives has been lost forever in inaction and passing the blame. If two hundred volunteer boat owners arrive at the appointed time to begin an organized search and rescue and are left to sit around idle for many hours day after day, is it any wonder the number drops quickly and those that remain “revolt” and go out on their own?
Those who are now scouring New Orleans to evacuate the last of the residents from their homes find that many don’t want to leave. Some have lived in one place all their lives and have never been far from home, and they don’t want to leave now.
There is a sense of security for many in being at home; people feel safer in their homes than they could in any shelter. Most of the country is mobile, moving and changing jobs, taking vacations and visiting relatives out of state. We have no concept of what home means to someone who has little and has likely never traveled.
Many absolutely refuse to leave their pets behind to die. There are several animal rescue groups in New Orleans and other ravaged cities. The searchers could pass on the location of these folks. Once the pets are safe, many of the residents would leave without further protest. They have stayed with their pets through the hurricane, flooding and lack of food, water and sanitary conditions. What makes anyone believe they are going to just abandon them to die now?
It is so easy for those of us who were not in the midst of the horrors of Hurricane Katrina to criticize decisions made by others. Often we think we have all the solutions to the decisions every one else should make, but in a crisis we can act just as irrationally and grab the morning newspaper instead of the checkbook or other important papers, or make worse mistakes than those we criticize in others.
This is a time for us to display empathy to those displaced by the storm, whether or not we agree with all the decisions each made. We cry, overcome with emotion, by merely watching the newscasts; they have survived and are traumatized. Many escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some managed to save a few possessions. Many carried pets, which were wrenched from them and left to die. Is it any wonder those who still sit in whatever is left of their homes are refusing to be rescued without their pets?
Thousands of refugees are in shelters, being moved from state to state, farther and farther away from their homes. Some will return when they are allowed. Some will never return, instead beginning their lives over in new areas. Churches and individuals offer homes and help to evacuees.
And, as always in a disaster, a variety of agencies are on the scene to offer aid.. Since I volunteer with the local American Red Cross Chapter, this is the organization that comes to mind first. There are other reputable groups using volunteers and collecting donations to help disaster victims – and Hurricane Katrina is the largest disaster in the history of the United States.
To Find Missing Loved Ones: Visit the Red Cross Family Links Registry
or Call 1-877 LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317)
To find a shelter --1-888-GET-INFO
To make a disaster donation -- 1-800-HELP-NOW (Spanish 1-800-435-7669)
Redcross.org, ARC Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013
FEMA evacuee registration -- 1-800-621-3362
There are also many animal rescue groups within the disaster area that are working tirelessly, existing solely on donations and prayers. A team from Carolyn Keeton’s All Cats, Inc., out of Valley, Alabama, has been in New Orleans since Wednesday, September 1st. United Way has now asked them to send some of their crew to Mississippi. They are a small group of volunteers doing a fantastic job under adverse conditions.
Disasters bring out the worst in people; for example, the scammers who pretend to be collecting for your favorite charity. What they are actually collecting for is their favorite charity – themselves. So, please, before you donate, make certain you are actually contributing to the charity you think you are. Scams are rampant during a disaster.
Disasters also bring out the best in people. There are so many stories of kindness, generosity and downright heroism arising from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
As always, Americans have reacted to a tragedy with an outpouring of mixed emotions, open checkbooks, truckloads of donated necessities, and a will to serve. No matter how many accusations of blame are tossed about, or how many mistakes were made by the evacuees or rescuers, when the chips are down, Americans step up to the plate and put something on it to share with others. America is not perfect, as almost anyone will gladly tell you, but it is still a wonderful place to live.
One of the things we are reminded of in a situation such as this one is that life and death are more closely related than we want to think. We are each only a breath away from death. Our homes and possessions are as temporary as this physical life. And when they’re taken from us, all those things we can’t live without today become trivial and unimportant.
What do things matter when we don’t know where our loved ones are, or even if they have survived the storm? Who cares about material things when the roof has blown away and there is no sanitary place to sit down? Who dreams about a mansion while surrounded by suffering children?
It will take months to make New Orleans, and possibly other areas, safe to return to. But restoring and rebuilding will come. Meanwhile, there are many thousands in need of our concern and active help, and not just for a short time. We need to be prepared and committed for a long healing process.
This is a time to demonstrate God’s love in action. There are church groups and individuals reaching out with whatever funds or talents they have available or can collect. There are upcoming fundraisers. But let’s not forget the most basic ways to show love: a listening ear, a nonjudgmental attitude, an arm around the shoulders without a word being spoken, or a moment shared in prayer.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
www.mercyandpercy.com
By Janice Price
The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation is hard to fathom. The sheer number of evacuees, now called refugees by many, has overwhelmed government and disaster agencies. One of the chief complaints is that there has been – and continues to be – a lack of leadership in the ranks of those who are supposedly our protectors and leaders.. This has cost many lives and wasted time and resources.
Volunteers are called upon. They respond and are left sitting, anxious and eager to do whatever job they have been trained to do, but no one seems to know what to do with them. So much valuable time that could have been invested in saving lives has been lost forever in inaction and passing the blame. If two hundred volunteer boat owners arrive at the appointed time to begin an organized search and rescue and are left to sit around idle for many hours day after day, is it any wonder the number drops quickly and those that remain “revolt” and go out on their own?
Those who are now scouring New Orleans to evacuate the last of the residents from their homes find that many don’t want to leave. Some have lived in one place all their lives and have never been far from home, and they don’t want to leave now.
There is a sense of security for many in being at home; people feel safer in their homes than they could in any shelter. Most of the country is mobile, moving and changing jobs, taking vacations and visiting relatives out of state. We have no concept of what home means to someone who has little and has likely never traveled.
Many absolutely refuse to leave their pets behind to die. There are several animal rescue groups in New Orleans and other ravaged cities. The searchers could pass on the location of these folks. Once the pets are safe, many of the residents would leave without further protest. They have stayed with their pets through the hurricane, flooding and lack of food, water and sanitary conditions. What makes anyone believe they are going to just abandon them to die now?
It is so easy for those of us who were not in the midst of the horrors of Hurricane Katrina to criticize decisions made by others. Often we think we have all the solutions to the decisions every one else should make, but in a crisis we can act just as irrationally and grab the morning newspaper instead of the checkbook or other important papers, or make worse mistakes than those we criticize in others.
This is a time for us to display empathy to those displaced by the storm, whether or not we agree with all the decisions each made. We cry, overcome with emotion, by merely watching the newscasts; they have survived and are traumatized. Many escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some managed to save a few possessions. Many carried pets, which were wrenched from them and left to die. Is it any wonder those who still sit in whatever is left of their homes are refusing to be rescued without their pets?
Thousands of refugees are in shelters, being moved from state to state, farther and farther away from their homes. Some will return when they are allowed. Some will never return, instead beginning their lives over in new areas. Churches and individuals offer homes and help to evacuees.
And, as always in a disaster, a variety of agencies are on the scene to offer aid.. Since I volunteer with the local American Red Cross Chapter, this is the organization that comes to mind first. There are other reputable groups using volunteers and collecting donations to help disaster victims – and Hurricane Katrina is the largest disaster in the history of the United States.
To Find Missing Loved Ones: Visit the Red Cross Family Links Registry
or Call 1-877 LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317)
To find a shelter --1-888-GET-INFO
To make a disaster donation -- 1-800-HELP-NOW (Spanish 1-800-435-7669)
Redcross.org, ARC Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013
FEMA evacuee registration -- 1-800-621-3362
There are also many animal rescue groups within the disaster area that are working tirelessly, existing solely on donations and prayers. A team from Carolyn Keeton’s All Cats, Inc., out of Valley, Alabama, has been in New Orleans since Wednesday, September 1st. United Way has now asked them to send some of their crew to Mississippi. They are a small group of volunteers doing a fantastic job under adverse conditions.
Disasters bring out the worst in people; for example, the scammers who pretend to be collecting for your favorite charity. What they are actually collecting for is their favorite charity – themselves. So, please, before you donate, make certain you are actually contributing to the charity you think you are. Scams are rampant during a disaster.
Disasters also bring out the best in people. There are so many stories of kindness, generosity and downright heroism arising from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
As always, Americans have reacted to a tragedy with an outpouring of mixed emotions, open checkbooks, truckloads of donated necessities, and a will to serve. No matter how many accusations of blame are tossed about, or how many mistakes were made by the evacuees or rescuers, when the chips are down, Americans step up to the plate and put something on it to share with others. America is not perfect, as almost anyone will gladly tell you, but it is still a wonderful place to live.
One of the things we are reminded of in a situation such as this one is that life and death are more closely related than we want to think. We are each only a breath away from death. Our homes and possessions are as temporary as this physical life. And when they’re taken from us, all those things we can’t live without today become trivial and unimportant.
What do things matter when we don’t know where our loved ones are, or even if they have survived the storm? Who cares about material things when the roof has blown away and there is no sanitary place to sit down? Who dreams about a mansion while surrounded by suffering children?
It will take months to make New Orleans, and possibly other areas, safe to return to. But restoring and rebuilding will come. Meanwhile, there are many thousands in need of our concern and active help, and not just for a short time. We need to be prepared and committed for a long healing process.
This is a time to demonstrate God’s love in action. There are church groups and individuals reaching out with whatever funds or talents they have available or can collect. There are upcoming fundraisers. But let’s not forget the most basic ways to show love: a listening ear, a nonjudgmental attitude, an arm around the shoulders without a word being spoken, or a moment shared in prayer.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
www.mercyandpercy.com
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
TENDERIZE THEIR HEARTS, LORD
Tenderize Their Hearts, Lord
By Janice Price
The morning after tearfully burying my seventeen-year-old cat, I was e-mailed a story I would still have trouble believing if I was not already aware cruel people can exist anywhere, including in positions of authority.
In early July, a city supervisor in Jourdanton, Texas ordered two animal shelter employees to dispose of several “sickly” shelter dogs while their veterinarian was on vacation. The workers carried out their assignment.
The city claims there were only five dogs. A teenager doing community service who witnessed the incident says there were more than five. The teenager was so affected by what he witnessed, he told his mother, and the city of Jourdanton is now internationally infamous, under scrutiny from the press, the District Attorney’s office and the State Health Department. Because of public outrage, the extensive publicity and the possibility of criminal charges being filed, this supervisor is no longer allowed to work with animals.
“Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives.” – Albert Schweitzer
What is so horrendous about this? The employees put the dogs into cages, carried them next door to the sewage plant and dropped the cages into the city sewage system. Yes, these animals were drowned in raw sewage. (This story can be verified at by doing a Google search of “Jourdanton dog drownings” or at http://archive.mail-list.com/petwarmers/msg00505.html )
For every beast of the forest is Mine (God’s), And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Psalm 50:10-12
And as for the dogs being “sickly” (as if that would be any excuse)? Well, they had such strength they broke out of their cages and the workers had to use snares to hold them under the sewage for “a couple of minutes.”
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." – Immanuel Kant
During an interview, a city official tried to dodge the bullet by claiming this was the only such incident. “You can take my word for it,” he insisted. When pressed, he finally admitted there was no record made of the disposition of these dogs. These animals in their care simply “disappeared.” The only animal deaths they record are those killed and billed by their veterinarian.
So there remains the debated question over whether this was the first and only time this happened. The claim is made that this was not an isolated incident, and no amount of tap dancing by officials has been convincing enough to warrant trust in the city’s disclaimer. How many dogs have died in this cruel manner – and what about cats and other small animals?
"Cruelty has cursed the human family for countless ages. It is almost impossible for one to be cruel to animals and kind to humans. If children are permitted to be cruel to their pets and other animals, they easily learn to get the same pleasure from the misery of fellow-humans. Such tendencies can easily lead to crime." – Fred A. McGrand
In Texas, animals can be “euthanized” in one of two ways and drowning them —especially in sewage — is not one of them. What occurred was an overt act of cruelty to animals, whether or not they were “strays.” Perhaps the fact that this has surfaced in the media will cause other towns and individuals to think twice about breaking the law in such a manner, but the death threats the city officials have been receiving are as heinous as the cruel crime.
The fact that, after this was brought to light, the city manager issued a written slap on the wrist for the supervisor and assumed the issue could be closed set a bad example for today's youth. If adults are cruel to animals — and get paid for it, no less — they validate cruelty as a casual circumstance of life. There is nothing casual or appropriate about cruelty.
"The tendency to cruelty should be watched in children and if they incline to any such cruelty, they should be taught the contrary usage. For the custom of tormenting and killing other animals will, by degrees, harden their hearts even toward man. Children should from the beginning be brought up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting living beings." – John Locke
Cruelty is often a means of having control and expressing anger toward something smaller or more helpless than oneself. Children are not born abusive; they learn and mimic cruelty. Animal Control workers are often taught to report animal abuse, as it can indicate child abuse in a home.
"One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it." – Anthropologist Margaret Mead
I’m not saying these city workers were animal abusers as children, but I do not imagine they just woke up one morning and decided it was going to be fun to torture helpless animals entrusted to their charge that day. Neither do I imagine that if this was the first time, it would be the last if a furor was not raised.
After reading about the dogs, my friend, Evelyn, wrote, “There's much cruelty we are not aware of, but when we learn of it, to sit by and do nothing is cruelty too.” Cruelty should never be condoned or swept under the rug, whether it is against animals, children or adults.
I pray for those responsible for this and for other atrocious behavior — whether against an animal entrusted to someone’s care, a child, a spouse or a stranger — and I know many others are praying for such situations too. Unfortunately, cruelty will continue to exist in this present age, as there are those who have not come to understand the saving grace of God, nor will some ever accept it. But through His Son Jesus Christ, God is able to change those who have shown cruelty toward any of His creation, if they turn to Him, desiring to have their hearts tenderized.
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://www.mercyandpercy.com
By Janice Price
The morning after tearfully burying my seventeen-year-old cat, I was e-mailed a story I would still have trouble believing if I was not already aware cruel people can exist anywhere, including in positions of authority.
In early July, a city supervisor in Jourdanton, Texas ordered two animal shelter employees to dispose of several “sickly” shelter dogs while their veterinarian was on vacation. The workers carried out their assignment.
The city claims there were only five dogs. A teenager doing community service who witnessed the incident says there were more than five. The teenager was so affected by what he witnessed, he told his mother, and the city of Jourdanton is now internationally infamous, under scrutiny from the press, the District Attorney’s office and the State Health Department. Because of public outrage, the extensive publicity and the possibility of criminal charges being filed, this supervisor is no longer allowed to work with animals.
“Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives.” – Albert Schweitzer
What is so horrendous about this? The employees put the dogs into cages, carried them next door to the sewage plant and dropped the cages into the city sewage system. Yes, these animals were drowned in raw sewage. (This story can be verified at by doing a Google search of “Jourdanton dog drownings” or at http://archive.mail-list.com/petwarmers/msg00505.html )
For every beast of the forest is Mine (God’s), And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Psalm 50:10-12
And as for the dogs being “sickly” (as if that would be any excuse)? Well, they had such strength they broke out of their cages and the workers had to use snares to hold them under the sewage for “a couple of minutes.”
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." – Immanuel Kant
During an interview, a city official tried to dodge the bullet by claiming this was the only such incident. “You can take my word for it,” he insisted. When pressed, he finally admitted there was no record made of the disposition of these dogs. These animals in their care simply “disappeared.” The only animal deaths they record are those killed and billed by their veterinarian.
So there remains the debated question over whether this was the first and only time this happened. The claim is made that this was not an isolated incident, and no amount of tap dancing by officials has been convincing enough to warrant trust in the city’s disclaimer. How many dogs have died in this cruel manner – and what about cats and other small animals?
"Cruelty has cursed the human family for countless ages. It is almost impossible for one to be cruel to animals and kind to humans. If children are permitted to be cruel to their pets and other animals, they easily learn to get the same pleasure from the misery of fellow-humans. Such tendencies can easily lead to crime." – Fred A. McGrand
In Texas, animals can be “euthanized” in one of two ways and drowning them —especially in sewage — is not one of them. What occurred was an overt act of cruelty to animals, whether or not they were “strays.” Perhaps the fact that this has surfaced in the media will cause other towns and individuals to think twice about breaking the law in such a manner, but the death threats the city officials have been receiving are as heinous as the cruel crime.
The fact that, after this was brought to light, the city manager issued a written slap on the wrist for the supervisor and assumed the issue could be closed set a bad example for today's youth. If adults are cruel to animals — and get paid for it, no less — they validate cruelty as a casual circumstance of life. There is nothing casual or appropriate about cruelty.
"The tendency to cruelty should be watched in children and if they incline to any such cruelty, they should be taught the contrary usage. For the custom of tormenting and killing other animals will, by degrees, harden their hearts even toward man. Children should from the beginning be brought up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting living beings." – John Locke
Cruelty is often a means of having control and expressing anger toward something smaller or more helpless than oneself. Children are not born abusive; they learn and mimic cruelty. Animal Control workers are often taught to report animal abuse, as it can indicate child abuse in a home.
"One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it." – Anthropologist Margaret Mead
I’m not saying these city workers were animal abusers as children, but I do not imagine they just woke up one morning and decided it was going to be fun to torture helpless animals entrusted to their charge that day. Neither do I imagine that if this was the first time, it would be the last if a furor was not raised.
After reading about the dogs, my friend, Evelyn, wrote, “There's much cruelty we are not aware of, but when we learn of it, to sit by and do nothing is cruelty too.” Cruelty should never be condoned or swept under the rug, whether it is against animals, children or adults.
I pray for those responsible for this and for other atrocious behavior — whether against an animal entrusted to someone’s care, a child, a spouse or a stranger — and I know many others are praying for such situations too. Unfortunately, cruelty will continue to exist in this present age, as there are those who have not come to understand the saving grace of God, nor will some ever accept it. But through His Son Jesus Christ, God is able to change those who have shown cruelty toward any of His creation, if they turn to Him, desiring to have their hearts tenderized.
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://www.mercyandpercy.com
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
JENNY'S LOVE
Jenny's Love
By Janice Price
There is nothing like the prospect of death to help you put things into perspective. Suddenly, vacuuming is not all that important. Spending time with the dying is.
In this instance, I am referring to Jenny, my feline companion of seventeen years. We have survived great patches of summers without air conditioning and winters without heat, bad health and poverty. When I moved across country several years ago, Jenny and another feline companion, Grayce, rode in the truck cab with me. Two years ago we grieved for the loss of Grayce.
Jenny has always given unconditional love, even when I was short-tempered and impossible to love, and I have always admired her feisty and independent spirit. She has put up a valiant fight, but eventually death catches up to all of us, animal or human.
Despite the heat and humidity, she wants to be held. With her head on my shoulder, she sleeps deeply, while I watch the barely perceptible rise and fall of her breathing.
For the last four nights I have tried to sleep on the floor. No amount of padding can make the floor comfortable or easy to rise from. But it’s important to me for her to know I’m nearby, where I can offer her sips of water and change her wet bedding.
I have had a lot of quiet time in the past few days. Of course, my mind dwells on our days of fun and laughter. She has given me lots of reasons to laugh. Since she went blind two years ago, she has needed extra care, but continued to be as independent as possible. More than once she has come close to death and rallied, but this time is different. There is a time to be born and a time to die. My heart is heavy and I’ve already shed many tears.
But my mind doesn’t just dwell on Jenny. So many things flood my mind.
I have no children, but each time I hold a sick or dying pet, I think of the unbearable pain of any parent who holds a dying baby or young child — even an adult child — for the last time. I can’t imagine such suffering.
I think of Mother, who never had the opportunity to hug her son one last time before he went into the hospital for the final time. Nor, for health reasons, was she able to attend his funeral.
I remember last year when I scooped up her old dog, Shorty, saying, “We’ll be back in an hour,” thinking he would get a shave and a rabies shot. Instead, I returned with his body. She didn’t get to say good-bye.
A couple of months ago, her other old dog, Benji, died at her feet. She sat alone with his body all through the long night. When it was apparent his time was fast approaching, every time I was there, I intended to pick him up and put him in her lap, so she could hold Benji one last time. Intentions are worthless, if not acted upon.
I think of my friend, Jay, in Ohio who flew home from Hawaii after burying her mother, only to find her husband had died in their bed during the night.
Of my friend, Carol, who endured the funerals of two sons who each committed suicide.
Of my friend, Pat, who has such a heart for helping others, and whose husband has been a quadriplegic for forty years. An accident changed whatever plans the young couple had for their life together. I’m sure they both grieved for the lifestyle that was lost, but they picked up and carried on together.
Of my friends Mark and Janet, who struggled for many years through Mark’s severe asthma problems. Then, when his health and their financial picture brightened, Janet was diagnosed with cancer. I picture him hugging her during her illness, wondering each time if that would be the last time he would get to hold her.
Of my friends Pat and David. Theirs is a similar type of situation. After years of his health trials, she suddenly became the priority after a diagnosis of leukemia. How often did he wonder if she would be there with him the next day or the next week?
And, of course, I think of Jesus and his agonizing death on the cross. Even though God had not the slightest doubt Jesus would be resurrected, I can not help but think there was joy in heaven when Jesus was reunited with his Father, and if ever there was a time for a Spiritual hug, this would be it – at least in my mind.
God can use any situation to teach us. As I sat here the other day feeling alone, with no local friend to call, I began to realize that after years of misunderstandings, Mother has become my best friend in the area.
When Grayce died unexpectedly. I worried about Mother living alone, and tried to find a way to move both households into one house large enough to accommodate her wheelchair and my “office” —not to mention our pets .— but was frustrated at every turn. Perhaps it was not time. Maybe neither of us was ready for such a move.
If it is not too late, perhaps the time has finally come for the merging of two households. Our circumstances are such that only God can open a door and provide means, opportunity and the strength I would need to pack up and move two households. But just as Jenny has needed me more the past two years, and especially the last few days, Mother needs more attention and help than I can give her hauling things back and forth between two houses. I want to be there for her as much as possible, just as I have been here for Jenny.
God has taught me so much through the life of all my pets over the years. Jenny has lived with me the longest and she is taking a little piece of my heart with her, just as each of the others have when their time came, but she is leaving an even bigger deposit of loving memories.
Letting others know you care for them and making amends should always be high on a list of priorities but they usually get relegated to the “when I get the nerve to say that” list or brushed off with, “He (or she) knows I care. I don’t have to say it.” Yes, actually we do need to say it, as well as to show it. I’m not very good at either, but I have to learn. Tomorrow, or even today, might be too late.
Yesterday, when I began writing this, Jenny’s heart was still beating. This morning her body, once so active and full of energy, grew still and stiff. I buried her beside her old friend, Grayce.
As I walked the dogs this morning, all I could think about was to pray, God, please make me into the kind of loving person you want me to be – and my pets think I already am.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://mercyandpercy.com
By Janice Price
There is nothing like the prospect of death to help you put things into perspective. Suddenly, vacuuming is not all that important. Spending time with the dying is.
In this instance, I am referring to Jenny, my feline companion of seventeen years. We have survived great patches of summers without air conditioning and winters without heat, bad health and poverty. When I moved across country several years ago, Jenny and another feline companion, Grayce, rode in the truck cab with me. Two years ago we grieved for the loss of Grayce.
Jenny has always given unconditional love, even when I was short-tempered and impossible to love, and I have always admired her feisty and independent spirit. She has put up a valiant fight, but eventually death catches up to all of us, animal or human.
Despite the heat and humidity, she wants to be held. With her head on my shoulder, she sleeps deeply, while I watch the barely perceptible rise and fall of her breathing.
For the last four nights I have tried to sleep on the floor. No amount of padding can make the floor comfortable or easy to rise from. But it’s important to me for her to know I’m nearby, where I can offer her sips of water and change her wet bedding.
I have had a lot of quiet time in the past few days. Of course, my mind dwells on our days of fun and laughter. She has given me lots of reasons to laugh. Since she went blind two years ago, she has needed extra care, but continued to be as independent as possible. More than once she has come close to death and rallied, but this time is different. There is a time to be born and a time to die. My heart is heavy and I’ve already shed many tears.
But my mind doesn’t just dwell on Jenny. So many things flood my mind.
I have no children, but each time I hold a sick or dying pet, I think of the unbearable pain of any parent who holds a dying baby or young child — even an adult child — for the last time. I can’t imagine such suffering.
I think of Mother, who never had the opportunity to hug her son one last time before he went into the hospital for the final time. Nor, for health reasons, was she able to attend his funeral.
I remember last year when I scooped up her old dog, Shorty, saying, “We’ll be back in an hour,” thinking he would get a shave and a rabies shot. Instead, I returned with his body. She didn’t get to say good-bye.
A couple of months ago, her other old dog, Benji, died at her feet. She sat alone with his body all through the long night. When it was apparent his time was fast approaching, every time I was there, I intended to pick him up and put him in her lap, so she could hold Benji one last time. Intentions are worthless, if not acted upon.
I think of my friend, Jay, in Ohio who flew home from Hawaii after burying her mother, only to find her husband had died in their bed during the night.
Of my friend, Carol, who endured the funerals of two sons who each committed suicide.
Of my friend, Pat, who has such a heart for helping others, and whose husband has been a quadriplegic for forty years. An accident changed whatever plans the young couple had for their life together. I’m sure they both grieved for the lifestyle that was lost, but they picked up and carried on together.
Of my friends Mark and Janet, who struggled for many years through Mark’s severe asthma problems. Then, when his health and their financial picture brightened, Janet was diagnosed with cancer. I picture him hugging her during her illness, wondering each time if that would be the last time he would get to hold her.
Of my friends Pat and David. Theirs is a similar type of situation. After years of his health trials, she suddenly became the priority after a diagnosis of leukemia. How often did he wonder if she would be there with him the next day or the next week?
And, of course, I think of Jesus and his agonizing death on the cross. Even though God had not the slightest doubt Jesus would be resurrected, I can not help but think there was joy in heaven when Jesus was reunited with his Father, and if ever there was a time for a Spiritual hug, this would be it – at least in my mind.
God can use any situation to teach us. As I sat here the other day feeling alone, with no local friend to call, I began to realize that after years of misunderstandings, Mother has become my best friend in the area.
When Grayce died unexpectedly. I worried about Mother living alone, and tried to find a way to move both households into one house large enough to accommodate her wheelchair and my “office” —not to mention our pets .— but was frustrated at every turn. Perhaps it was not time. Maybe neither of us was ready for such a move.
If it is not too late, perhaps the time has finally come for the merging of two households. Our circumstances are such that only God can open a door and provide means, opportunity and the strength I would need to pack up and move two households. But just as Jenny has needed me more the past two years, and especially the last few days, Mother needs more attention and help than I can give her hauling things back and forth between two houses. I want to be there for her as much as possible, just as I have been here for Jenny.
God has taught me so much through the life of all my pets over the years. Jenny has lived with me the longest and she is taking a little piece of my heart with her, just as each of the others have when their time came, but she is leaving an even bigger deposit of loving memories.
Letting others know you care for them and making amends should always be high on a list of priorities but they usually get relegated to the “when I get the nerve to say that” list or brushed off with, “He (or she) knows I care. I don’t have to say it.” Yes, actually we do need to say it, as well as to show it. I’m not very good at either, but I have to learn. Tomorrow, or even today, might be too late.
Yesterday, when I began writing this, Jenny’s heart was still beating. This morning her body, once so active and full of energy, grew still and stiff. I buried her beside her old friend, Grayce.
As I walked the dogs this morning, all I could think about was to pray, God, please make me into the kind of loving person you want me to be – and my pets think I already am.
© 2005 Janice Price
mercyandpercy@yahoo.com
http://mercyandpercy.com
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