The tree was up in the living room. Presents were slowly being wrapped and put under the tree. The Spirit was in the air, and I felt good about Christmas. I was going to start making Christmas cookies that day.

The environment changed when my husband came in and said, “can I have the kitchen this weekend? I want to get the deer out of the freezer and make sausage. I didn’t think it was a bad idea. I needed more room in the freezer anyway. However, I didn’t expect the chaos that would come from this endeavour. My husband brought in a deer leg and laid it on the counter, and went to get the rest of the body out of the freezer. I left the room not wanting to participate in this production. I heard the door slam and then screaming, “Hun, did you move my deer leg?” No, I yelled back and went downstairs. He said he had put the leg on the counter, and it was gone.

As we looked around, we saw our Bassett hound, Bo, under the back of the Christmas tree with the deer leg, munching away. He gave himself an early present.

This self-gratification did not end well for the dog. Self-gratification never ends well. Animals live primarily for this purpose, driven by instinct and the inner workings of the food chain. Self-gratification is the act of pleasing oneself or satisfying one’s desires. It is a sin.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13

I will have you know, we did not kill the dog that weekend.