When I was a child, I hated the texture and taste of onions. Nothing my mother could do would persuade me to eat them. When served with food that contained them, I’d fastidiously pick out each piece of the dreaded substance until my portion was onion-free. This resulted in hours at the dinner table when the cardinal rule forbade me to leave until my plate was clean.
If my mom cut up the onions into small bits, it only made matters worse because of the increased difficulty of finding each piece. When I outrightly refused to eat what was set before me immediate discipline from my dad followed. Faced with the prospect of the board of education (my dad’s hand) being applied to the seat of knowledge (my behind), I’d try a few bites, only to gag when my tongue sensed the abominable ingredient in my food.
And so, suppers became a battleground when onions were involved. And a battleground it was. Others in the family liked the taste of the things and my parents refused to bend their ways. However, over time Mom relented and substituted onion seasoning instead of the real thing. This, I did not mind.
However, as I grew older I found that I did not hate the taste of onions but rather their texture. As long as they are thoroughly cooked, I now have no objection. In fact, I enjoy them even to the point I fry them myself as a treat to be placed on certain foods such as a juicy hamburger. That said, onions have now become a regular staple in the Miles’s diet. My mom would be smiling had she lived to see this.
But, we have a young dog, Molly. Like all those of her species, she cannot tolerate onions. They are toxic to dogs (and cats). No problem, we just won’t feed her that vegetable. We had no idea of what onions could do to her until Nancy poured chicken broth that had been seasoned with the said vegetable onto our pup’s food. Resulting diarrhea tipped us off that we’d better be more attentive to her diet.
However, Molly has a liking for sneaking human food when she has opportunity, and that is the problem. She has risen on her hind legs to pilfer a pork roast, and then at another time, hamburgers from our kitchen counter. Both had been prepared with the harmful substance. In each instance diarrhea followed about twenty-four hours later, leaving me frustrated trying to figure out what we did wrong and how we can avoid this problem in the future.
I tell the story to friends, and they laugh. Dogs are dogs and that is what they will do if they have opportunity—pilfer food. We just have to make sure we keep things out of reach as you would for a young child. As for the immediate consequences, we just have to put up with Molly’s digestion difficulties.
However, I did research and have found that onion poisoning in dogs is far more concerning than diarrhea. In fact, while many develop that digestive issue, the chemicals in onions potentially cause long-term anemia which can prove fatal. Each time Molly consumes the forbidden food she becomes more susceptible to its devastating consequences.
No reaction on my part after the fact, such as yelling or sending her to her crate will do anything to dissuade her from the tempting morsel in front of her. After all, dogs are dogs and will do what dogs do because they have no capacity to consider consequences.
As I reflect on this, I think about how our heavenly Father must feel when we believers in Christ return to things that are not good for us—behaviors such as lying, taking what is not ours, engaging in gluttony, watching T.V. and movies that stir up lust, and so much more. We endure the consequences, vowing to never do such again but later find ourselves repeating the same behaviors. Our excuse is that no one is perfect. We are of Adam’s race and do what fallen men and women do.
But the fact is, we don’t have to reconcile ourselves to do the same harmful deeds over and again. We are unlike Molly. While she can be trained to not do some of her negative behaviors she cannot change her innate nature. She cannot alter what she is. However, we have a changed nature bestowed upon us when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior. We no longer must do what we have in the past.
I see in the Bible I am not alone in this. In Romans 7:19-20, Paul addressed this issue when he wrote: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. But if even the author of most of the New Testament struggled with the same dilemma, how can I expect to overcome my propensity to go after things I should not pursue?
Paul concludes with the answer in Romans 7:24 and 25: O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…
I am certain we will continue to have days despite our best efforts to avoid them when Molly will do what is part of her nature even though it is harmful to her well-being. However, I pray for deliverance from the harmful things in my path. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:57.