by Kelly Moran
for 30 August 1995
For the past 20 years, hunters in the Blackwater River State Forest thought someone was stealing their dogs. Hunting dogs are expensive animals. In fact, Rufus Godwin paid $5,000 for his fox-hunting hound, Flojo. Flojo disappeared a few weeks ago. The last Godwin heard was her bark as she chased an animal. The barking stopped, and Rufus couldn't find her.
It turns out the barking served as a dinner bell for a 500-pound alligator. As dogs approached, this fifty-year-old gator would come out of its hole, slide into Coldwater Creek and move up to the game trail. Then he would wait for the dog to cross the creek in pursuit of foxes or deer.
At least six hunting dogs, and probably many more, met their fate in the alligator's jaws.
Jamie Sauls had also lost a dog a few weeks before. Recently, hunters have been outfitting their dogs with electronic collars that emit a signal that can be traced. Along with Godwin, Sauls set out with tracking devices to search for their dogs.
They received weak signals for the dogs and followed them to a deep swamp hole. On Monday, Godwin said, "When we walked up to this hole, just all of a sudden the boxes went to beeping out of sight. They just went wide open. So we knew then we were dealing with a gator."
The 10-foot, 11-inch reptile was captured by state-contracted gator hunters. During the struggle, the gator spit up Flojo's $125 collar. After killing the animal and slitting open the belly, they found a whole collection of (indigestible) dog collars. One was from a dog that had disappeared 14 years ago.
The gator's home was a frightening quarter-mile from a popular swimming hole on the Blackwater River. If not for the steady diet of dogs, the gator might have tried to lunch on children, Godwin said.
"As long as we kept carrying him $5,000 dogs, he was eating good," Godwin said.
Apparently, a steady diet of dogs is enough to encourage significant growth in an alligator. At nearly eleven feet, and 500 pounds, he was pretty big.
Are you eating so rich? I'm not talking about your food, of course, this publication consistently deals with Spiritual matters. So, what about your Spiritual diet? Most importantly, does your diet lead to significant growth?
The first-century Apostle, Paul, thought it important that we consider carefully what goes into the mind. The computer-spawned phrase, "Garbage in, garbage out," is certainly true in Spiritual matters.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
I wish I could attain the Spiritual growth to which I aspire. I know that I continue to mature, but don't you feel, with me, a frustration to be better? Paul's solution is watch what goes in, if you want goodness to come out! That hits home, doesn't it?
At another point, Paul wrote, "We proclaim him, (Jesus) admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Colossians 1:28)
Wow! Perfect. How do I get that? What kind of diet leads to that type of Spiritual growth? His answer is: Him. Jesus. "Jesus in, perfect out."
God, make me more like Jesus today.
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All Scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (unless otherwise noted).
Copyright 1995 by Kelly Moran.