I can justify it!

There has been a groundhog (hedgehog...not sure of the difference) in the neighborhood that has been digging holes, destroying gardens, and even attacking my neighbor's cat. My neighbor came over and asked if I could help get rid of it by letting out my dogs if I saw it. She said the other neighbor has promised to shoot it if he saw it and between the two of us we could probably get rid of the vermin.

Last evening I saw it about 50 yards out in the yard. Now Zeus isn't fast; he is big and strong, but no way he could get to it. Milo is faster, but he slows considerably after about 20 yards. However, I am sure Omega is an American Staffordshire mixed with a Jack Russell so this job was perfect for him. I took him out, pointed him in the proper direction and yelled "squirrel". I'm not sure the groundhog ever knew what hit it.

I was discussing this with some friends and one sweet soul, Kim, was appalled. She is a lover of all things created. However, she did admit to her seeming hypocrisy because she allows her cats to hunt mice. Her sensitivity and self examination warmed my heart. How often do we point the finger at others without first examining ourselves. And when we do examine ourselves we figure out how to justify what we're doing (or not doing). Kim could have easily said "well mice are disease carrying rodents and need to be destroyed", but she didn't. She recognized her hypocrisy. 

I wish more people would take the time to evaluate themselves before pointing fingers at others. I wish more people would stop justifying what they're doing (or not doing). We all have areas that we're not proud of, we all have areas where God can improve on. 

As Elvis famously crooned:

Back porch preacher preaching at me
Acting like he wrote the golden rules
Shaking his fist and speeching at me
Shouting from his soap box like a fool
Come sunday morning he's lying in bed
With his eye all red, with the wine in his head
Wishing he was dead when he oughta be
Heading for sunday school

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Drugstore cowboy criticizing
Acting like he's better than you and me
Standing on the sidewalk supervising
Telling everybody how they ought to be
Come closing time most every night
He locks up tight and out go the lights
And he ducks out of sight and he cheats on his wife
With his employee

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Armchair quarterbacks always moanin
Second guessing people all day long
Pushing, fooling and hanging on in
Always messing where they don't belong
When you get right down to the nitty-gritty
Isnt it a pity that in this big city
Not a one alittle bitty manll admit
He could have been a little bit wrong

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me, don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine