Hercules

From http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/bio.html, I got the short paragraph about the "Life and Times of Hercules".

Stories about the gods, called myths, were made up thousands of years ago. Was there a real Hercules, a man behind the stories? We will never know. Yet, his story is of a man who was so strong and courageous, whose deeds were so mighty, and who so endured all the hardships that were given to him, that when he died, Hercules was brought up to Mount Olympus to live with the gods.

Hercules was both the most famous hero of ancient times and the most beloved. More stories were told about him than any other hero.

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Do these words describe our Hercules?

He is worthy of his name for he is so strong that he dragged my mom once and she sprained her shoulder. He is courageous that he barks at anything and everything as well as run after every cat and dog on the streets. Are his deeds mighty? He never got the chance to prove it but he often warns us about gates that were opened or calls our attention to the arrival of strangers in front of our house. He hasn't endured any hardship except maybe when no one was available to walk him, or to bring him outside to do the calls of nature. And maybe the time that he spent two nights far from our home and he barked and barked, rather he cried and cried. He had to be returned back to us and was depressed for the next two weeks.

No, he hasn't died. He is very much alive. Unfortunately, he no longer lives with the gods, that is, if by gods here we mean his masters. Circumstances in our lives have forced us to make a decision. It was also for his own good and that was our primary concern. For weeks, we prayed hard and looked for kind-hearted people who would be willing to adopt him. There were options but we desired what was best for him. And finally, two days ago, his new masters came to bring him to his next home. We fought hard not to shed tears but to no avail. They flowed. Especially those from my mother and brother.

He is famous in our neighborhood. He knows how to open our door and gate. He says hello to kids. He is so friendly that when asked he will offer his paws in a handshake.

And most of all, he is beloved. He has been a part of our family for the last six years. He lived within the house, ate nutritious food carefully prepared for him, got injections against any pests that may harm him, played with our little nieces, took anti-pest baths, became the center of arguments, got hand-fed when he had no appetite, became the best friend of our youngest cat, was hugged when we were sad and broken-hearted, got kissed just because he cheered us, and was just part of the family. We all wish he could live and die with us but life is full of changes.

God, please take care of our Hercules. Let him be loved the way we loved him. And let him love his new masters for they too deserve to be loved.

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Proverbs 12:10 10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel. (NLT)