I never heard them enter but I found out they were in soon enough. I was pulled from bed and stuffed in a bag, head first, then I was beaten while struggling for clean air. What had been in this bag before me? What ever it was hadn't gotten out alive either from the telltale odors, as I was sure I would not. I was whacked, kicked and clubbed then dragged outside and loaded unceremoniously into the bed of a pickup ( soI assume, since I was bagged).
Where ever they took me wasn't on well traveled roads or the truck’s shock absorbers had been removed. I bounced about slamming my head a dozen times per minute. I struggled with the bonds that had my arms pinned to my sides. I was absolutely defenseless. Cowards. There were enough of them they could have killed me easily, even by giving me a opportunity to fight back. I wouldn't have been the victor in a fight when I was outnumbered six to one.
The truck careened to a stop and the yellow livered...the cowards yanked me up, over and out of the truck bed and let me "gently" down to the rock hard ground, head first. I can't imagine why, but I was relieved to hear them take off, leaving me alone out here...wherever here was. At least I now had a chance. After a moment or two I corrected myself. I didn't have the chance of a snow ball in ....the Sahara . I squirmed and wiggled. I was coughing up blood, plus I had a tremendous nose bleed, I would drown in this bag from my own red fluid.
Somebody untied my bonds. I thought I was alone. After I shed my burlap prison I sat up and looked around, ready for another demonstration of love. Nobody. I was in an open space, on the edge of a forest. There was no way someone could have gotten out of sight so soon. Still I was untied, freed. I stood in stages. Shakily. I’m sure ribs were cracked, maybe even my spleen was ruptured. Here I was, in bed clothes, barefooted in ....only God knows where, but at least I was a life.
I headed to the tree line with the moonlight as my guide to find a hiding place for me to heal. I knew why this happened. I didn't worship the same as my attackers. They had warned me to not use my bible in public. I had come here knowing I'd meet resistance, but this violence! I was a close friend of the commander, Zach, he and I had attended Oxford together, and I foolishly thought I could hide under his cloak of protection as a visitor. Hospitality was suppose to be prized here. Apparently the etiquette hadn't been taught to the lower thinking live forms.
Into the woods I loped. Slowly. Painfully. My feet oozing as small sharp rocks left slices in my soles. I heard some high pitched whining. Up ahead a mountain came into view. I could see a huge, I mean really huge bear, leaning over the ledge pawing desperately at something below. Getting closer, I could see the bear couldn't get down but wanted something real bad. Beneath her, trapped on a ledge on the face of the mountain was a cub, trying to crawl back up, spraying the ground feet below with loose earth and mini boulders. The mother was unable to get down, the baby was unable to get up. It would be a long journey to find the trail that led down. I approached carefully and found foot holes that would accommodate me that led directly to distraught junior. Clinging to the wall I reached the shelf holding the cub and heaved him (as he sat on my face I knew it was definitely a boy) up high enough for it's mother to get a mouth full of the nape of it's neck. With one jerk she yanked her offspring up and over. I heard some “I told you so’s, you were to close to the edge!” then a big black nose followed by big black eyes looked back over the cliff. The mother studied me intensely, inhaling my scent into her lungs before she turned tail, wiggled it at me, and left with her child in tow.
Well, that was my good deed for the day and it took everything out of me, wasting some of my limited reserves. I lurched on through the woods using the trees as props to stay on my feet and found a berry patch. Yummy. I collapsed in front of the feast. Pulling some berries from the bush I jerked back when a snout protruded though and snorted at me. On either side of the snout were two ugly, pointed tusks. A wild boar! I was in trouble now. (Not that being beaten and left for dead wasn’t trouble enough). I was sitting and the boar was standing and getting ready for battle stamping the ground with it‘s hooves. I was a goner. No sense in pretending to fight, I couldn’t even raise myself back to my feet. Whoever claimed to not be afraid in the valley of the shadow of death never faced a wild boar while in their pajamas with only a hand full of berries to defend themselves. Maybe if I tossed the berries in it’s face it might aspirate giving me time to…..die of natural causes. I just closed my eyes and prayed to God that he would make this quick.
Roar. Roar. I turned to see mother bear on her hind legs thrashing her paws twenty feet high in the air. Her roars were gusty enough to create tornadoes. The boar grunted and retreated, gracefully at a full gallop, peeing as it ran. I didn’t bother to run to pee. Mom dropped to all fours and sauntered over to me. It was apparent I was going to die somehow tonight. By beatings, boar or bear. I picked up a nearby stick. I looked at the stick, then the bear, then her claws. The bear looked at the stick, then her claws, then me. I could read her mind. She was laughing at me! This was humiliating. I didn’t have a very big stick. She had very big claws.
Bear nudged me and backed up; nudged me again and backed up. I wish I understood bear-ese. I knew I should have paid more attention to Dr. Doolittle. She was trying to tell me something. She took her nose and poked my belly. Was she trying to see how fat I was to determine what size pan to roast me in! No. She wanted me to get on her back! Unbelievable. Not wanting to refuse her generous offer and madden her, I crawled up and clung to her fur as she padded on through the woods. Phew! For a thank you gift I think I’ll buy her a more fragrant brand of perfume, or deodorizer. I was dumped in a cave with her son then she left to return with some raw fish she flung at me proudly. No way, I wasn‘t eating raw fish, bears get it for free while humans pay big bucks for it, but sushi never appealed to me. I took my dinner to the cave opening and started me a little camp fire, using twigs and stones. In no time I was filled and satisfied. Mom spread out full length while baby curled up by her side, yawned and signed out for the remainder of the night. Heavy breathing resonated through the stone lodgings. The place stunk of bear fur and bear….never mind, at least I was safe for a while. Where was my God, leaving me in the care of wild animals!
As the sun poked it’s fingers into my temporary accommodations around high noon, I awoke to the sound of human voices. Some one was calling my name. I had a tremendous headache so this wasn’t fully appreciated. I was sluggish getting to my feet, the cold air and the beatings had a negative effect on my arthritis. Bear came up alongside of me for support and let me lean on her. Outside I discovered my friend, Zach, driving a jeep searching for me with a convoy behind him. When he saw me and the bear exit the cave he grabbed his rifle and yelled for me to jump clear while drawing a bead on Mrs. Bear’s chest. I threw myself between him and my new love, much to his surprise. The bear yawned and retreated casually back into her den.
United with my rescuer we hugged each other, in a manly fashion, yet softly to prevent further breakage of my body. I was never happier to see anyone in my life. He had come upon his men bragging about their behavior at a beer joint. They were at this very moment tied up in one of the rear trucks and were going to suffer the fate they had designed for me. They would be beaten and left for dead for the wild animals to gorge themselves on. An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. That was the uncompromising philosophy of the region. I objected strenuously against this plan.
“But friend, they tried to kill you.” Zach exclaimed.
“But that’s not the way of my God. I would rather they not die because of me.” Some how I felt letting them live would be more of a disgrace for them anyway. Take that you cowards. How’s that for getting even. Ha, ha, I got you, I thought staring them down in their ungrateful eyes! I was inwardly exuberant, I was following my God’s teaching and getting revenge at the same time!!! Yes, a win-win situation.
“My friend, what God would let these men live!”
“My God would, because he died for them,” I explained.
“Let’s get you cared for. Then I want to hear some more about this God of yours.”I looked up at the cave entrance so I could sear it in my memory. A man was standing there scratching Bear’s ears. I blinked and looked again. Nothing. A trick of an injured brain or did I just see…..an angel?
Daniel 6
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