Not on My Watch!! (7/24/08)

As I draw closer to the end of my trip, I realized that as far as coming on a mission trip, I have not come down and "saved" anyone in particular. But the coolest thing did happen to me this morning that I want to share with you.

As I completed my run (a.k.a painful jog) this morning, I stopped at the bay to cool down and stretch. I saw a fisherman in the bay, throwing his net out. I went to speak to him and learn more about his fishing. After speaking with him for a few seconds, I looked down the bay wall and noticed a little dog trying to stand on a little space on the wall as it sloped (ever so slightly) into the water. It was not a normal place for any living thing to stand, with the water beating up against it and rising slowly. The man told me that someone threw the dog in the water down a few yards away to kill it. (Corozal is full of dogs......just not sure if there are owners for most of them.) That scene broke my heart. I could not stand there and wait for a dog to get washed up in the bay water to die.

I walked over to the bay wall and stood over the dog. He was obviously too far down to reach standing up. I tried to lean over the wall - no luck. I sat on the wall and reached down - still no luck. So I silently prayed that I would NOT fall into the bay to save this dog (as the dog would have fared better than me in that water) and locked my ankle on the wall and stretched down to grab some part of that dog. I grabbed he top part of his ear and made it down to his neck and yanked him up to the street - safe, sound and ALIVE!! He stood briefly for a second (as if to safe “Gracias amigo!) and took off down the street, with his tail tucked between his legs - to fight another day. I had completed my one heroic act during my mission down in Belize!!

That was a great way to end a morning jog!!!

I reflected more about that act this morning on my way back from San Narcisco, and it hit me that many of us are not that different from that dog.......actually at one point ALL of us were in the same position. There was no way that dog was going to survive that strong current of water that was crashing into the wall if someone did not save him. (Anyone could have done that particular act if they were in the right place at the right time. I was not special for this act.) But how different were we - or are we - from that dog if that hand did not reach down to save us. Jesus came to this earth for the specific reason to save us from eternal death. He came to reach His gentle, strong, loving hand down to this earth to save us from eternal death. All we have to do is have faith that He was not going to let go. Best part about that is - He did not and will not let go of us.

Now the next time I think twice about my hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock and not going on that AM run, I will remember that little pup and wonder if there was another opportunity for getting up more than another jog.

In Him,
Mark

PS - Dave and Delara.....The ASPCA might make me an honorary member after this save!!!