A story with meaning…

His name was Gillart. When he stood at his full height he was 7 feet tall and he weighed 150 pounds, he looked like a lion but to his master, a hunter, he was the loving and obedient Wolfhound raised from an orphaned pup to the massive protector he was to his beloved master and Gillart was always by his side to help in the hunt. The hunter had heard that a wolf was running in the woods and endangering people and pets in the Village where Master lived, so he decided to go out and hunt for the wolf his small son asleep in his little bed. He slipped out of the house to hunt down the wolf and called for Gillart to come join him in the hunt, but he didn’t answer him or come loping around the corner to go with him as usual. He finally just went on into the woods to find the wolf and after several hours of looking with no luck decided to go back home knowing it was time for his little son to be awake. As he approached his little house Gillart came running to greet him licking his feet, the hunter noticed that there was blood on his muzzle and ran into his son’s room to see bloody sheets covering his son’s bed, his first thought was that GIllart had killed his son! He turned around and shot GIllart who died trying to lick his master’s hand… the hunter heard a cry and turned back to the bed to find his son safe underneath the bed with the wolf lying dead beside him where GIllart had valiantly fought with him to save the little boy’s life.

As a little girl I sat rapt, mouth open, tears running down my cheeks as my dad told that story of a man who came to a very hasty, rash conclusion that his faithful wolfhound had killed his son and then killed the very dog that had saved his son’s life.

His point stuck in my young mind, never assume anything, know all the facts before you act. I’ve seen rash decisions ruin lives up close and personal, I don’t ever want to be guilty of that… again.

James 1:2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So, don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work, so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

*The story of Gillart (and I am not sure if that is correct spelling) was originally found in an out of print book named (I think) Stories for Young Men and Boys. I do not know the author; hey I was only 8 when I heard it!