Retired Judge

Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.

BRANDON COX HAD BEEN WORKING as a K9 officer for close to a decade and knew it would take awhile for him and his family to get used to his new role as sergeant. But he was most concerned with how his K9 partner, Judge, would handle the transition. Once Brandon started his new job, their assignments in the field would end.

Judge had been working with the Hernando County sheriff’s office in Florida for seven years—and had been working with Brandon the entire time. The dog lived and breathed his work because to the German shepherd it wasn’t work at all. It was all one big game. A game he absolutely loved.

The K9 partner was a mass of energy on patrol. He was always on alert and ready to be called into action.

In fact, Judge would often get so excited while on duty that he would bark incessantly during his twelve-hour shift in the cruiser. While the barking was less than ideal in such close quarters, Brandon realized it helped Judge stay focused and ready to work at a moment’s notice by providing an outlet for his pent-up energy. Thankfully, Brandon was able to quiet Judge when necessary.

Whenever it was time for Judge to get to work—whether that meant apprehending a suspect, finding a missing person, sniffing out an illegal substance, or putting himself in harm’s way to protect his handler—Brandon knew his dog was ready.

Judge was simply always ready.

That quality made him a wonderful partner, but it also worried Brandon now. Would his highly trained police dog adapt well to being a house pet?

Judge was housed at Brandon’s home in an outside kennel to keep him used to the elements so he could do his job well in any kind of climate. One of the perks of his retirement would be getting to move inside Brandon’s house, where he would enjoy a comfortable climate-controlled environment. And yet, as happy as Brandon was to have his faithful partner become a member of his family, he couldn’t help but wonder how the dog would respond to the dramatic changes.

Brandon had a hard time imagining Judge lying around the house all day. Would he even enjoy it? But with Brandon’s new role, and Judge’s age, the decision was made to retire Judge and bring in a younger dog to take his place.

The first week Judge did seem quite confused. He would pant with excitement as Brandon dressed for work, then whine and paw at the door when Brandon left without him. But it did not take long for Judge to embrace a life of ease . . . and air-conditioning in Florida.

Judge traded games like chase the suspect for games of fetch and hide-and-seek with Brandon’s children. And he happily traded his kennel in the back of the police car for his soft memory foam bed.

Although his former partner is enjoying the good life of retirement, Brandon knows that if the need ever arose, Judge would not hesitate to serve, defend, and protect him and his family.

Because, after all, he’s Judge.

PAWS & PONDER . . .

This proverb refers to the benefits of hard work. What are some of its rewards? Can you think of any eternal rewards of hard work? What are the “fig trees” (i.e., roles and responsibilities) God has given you to cultivate and nurture? How are you working hard at tending those?

Paws & Pray

Father, help me to work well for you. Show me how to work wisely—not for the praise of others, nor for mere financial gain, but as a testimony to my faith in you. Help me always to work with you in mind. As I work in your presence, allow others to see you in me. For you are my greatest reward.

Too much honey is bad for you, and so is trying to win too much praise.