Family Legend---Shawn, Mitch and a Really Mean Dog

This story is the stuff of legend, at least with my kids. The story of Shawn, Mitch and the mean dog. I have shared it with my kids since they were small. I have shared it with my primary classes. I have shared it in a talk given at church. My kids have shared it in talks given at church. When I was teaching primary this last Sunday, I used this story and before I had even gotten to the good part all of my primary kids said "Oh, yeah. We remember this story." And they proceeded to listen intently as I retold it with the appropriate "OHHHHH" at the right point in the story. So let me share it with you now. Shawn and Mitch, feel free to comment if I get anything wrong. But this is how I tell it.

Meet my brothers, Mitch, on the left, and Shawn. Once upon a time, they had a very faith inspiring experience.


For whatever reason, these two missed the school bus one day and decided to walk home. First of all, considering that we lived on Overland Ave in Burley, Idaho, not necessarily a safe road, this probably wasn't their best decision. However, off they went. As they walked along, they saw a German Shepherd dog across the road. This dog was mean and he meant business. He saw lunch meat in these two boys. Well, Shawn and Mitch, realizing they were in trouble, decided to do something which was a little surprising for two boys of this age. Throw rocks at the dog, you ask? No. Run screaming and yelling as fast as they could from the scene? No. Flag down the nearest car for help? No, they'd done that once before much to my parents' embarrassment but that is a story for another day. Freeze and hope that the dog got distracted? No. These two decided to pray, right there on Overland Ave. And do you know what happened? That dog decided to attack. He ran across the road straight for those two tasty looking boys and just as they thought they were about to die, a Trans Am came along and hit and killed the dog. Now, if that isn't heavenly intervention, I don't know what is. And so, my brothers are still alive, and all of us have to say that prayer works.

Now, if you ever doubt the teaching ability of this story, let me tell you that Christian, at five, remembered this story when faced with a vicious dog. Yes, the neighbors' feisty white fluffy dog (sorry, Christian but it just wasn't as scary as a german shepherd) would terrorize the kids as they walked past the yard. One day, as Christian walked home, "Fluffy" came running only this day, the gate was open. Christian knew his leg was destined for "Fluffy's" jaws. But did he panic? No, he remembered Shawn and Mitch's story and he prayed. And guess what? The owner came out and shut the gate and saved Christian. Maybe not as powerful as a Trans Am but life saving and faith affirming all at once.

So there you have it. The family legend. And I swear, I haven't embellished. Shawn actually corrected me a while back. You see, I used to think it was a semi truck that hit the dog but he informed me it was a Trans Am. So I have adjusted my story accordingly (although I admit, I told the semi version a few times before corrected).


Aren't they cute?!