To Be Loved

I’ve been thinking a lot of about dogs lately. Some people have said the word dog is “god” spelled backwards. I agree with the spelling inversion, but the God of the Bible is Almighty, all powerful, Creator of the universe, and so much more. Dogs cannot compare to my awesome eternal God. But this I know: Dogs do in some small way capture the essence of God’s faithful forgiving nature–love personified. It’s one thing to own a pet, but to BE LOVED by one takes the human/animal relationship to a whole new level.

Attributes

Treat dogs kindly and they will return their love and loyalty without reservation. Have you ever looked into a dog’s eyes and noticed the unconditional love flowing back? “If only they could speak,” I have often said. But honestly, they communicate quite well without our language. In my observation, a dog’s purpose and primary desire is to be near and to love. For this gift of love, I am grateful to God who had us in mind when He made all the creatures of the world.

Why do I spend time pondering the lives of canines? They are only one species of God’s great and wondrous creation. My life has been long and blessed with the abundance of unique animals I have known and loved: dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, and even a very funny goat “kid” we bought when the children were young. Perhaps my recent reflections are stirred because my present two “best doggies” are now old, with aging health issues. I must face the fact they won’t be with us for much longer.

A Time for Everything

Scripture tells us there is a time for everything. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. I know how the breath of life draws a final conclusion to even the most vibrant and influential of lives, human or animal (and I do believe in the distinction). No matter how familiar my brain is with the seasons of life, death still shocks my system. It’s like a trick I must grapple with–every single time. “How can it be?” I ask, shaking myself to accept the reality that a living-breathing-vibrant being is no more.

Hope in Loss

Yet I have hope. Because of the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, the sting of death is diminished. Not eliminated, I add honestly. I still grieve the losses of those I love. For my human loves, I have the hope of heaven’s reunion with those who trusted Christ and have gone before me. For my furry friends, I have rich memories of the seasons in which we ran, laughed, cuddled, and exchanged love.

For now, I will hold my aging “puppies,” tell them how much they are loved, and thank God for such a gift–a tiny representation of His even greater love. Love has risks. Without love, life is empty. I choose to love, to endure the pain of loss, and cherish the days of laughter. Now, go hug a person or a pet today, and tell them how much they mean to you.

I had a day from “the dark side” this week. It all began with a simple and seemingly benign decision. I ordered a Kindle reader from Amazon! Have you ever had something go awry at every turn? I’m sure you have. It’s part of the human condition, it seems. Earth is not Heaven, and that I’m sure we all have grasped. We await for that heavenly destiny and glory to come, or until Jesus returns for His children.

My adorable little Kindle arrived early in the week, but little did I know where that would lead. After five hours on the phone with five different Amazon customer service agents, I was a frustrated wreck. There were unusual sign-in issues, and after one service rep suggested I eliminate a little used business account, the apparently defective Kindle then became impossible to return. I had unconsciously ordered it from the then-defunct account and no one could seem to go back to retrieve the original order. I was on the phone with our credit card bank at 11:00 p.m. that same night because the first rep tried to charge me $59.99 for registering the device. That was fraudulent, I was later told. He sent me an email form to fill out with my credit information, resulting in not one, but two cards having to be immediately cancelled. I felt my stress level rising as no one seemed to know how to resolve all these mounting obstacles.   As I lay in bed talking to the Lord about my daunting day, I knew it was all inconsequential in the face of so many major problems around us. But, it did make me evaluate how I handled my personal potholes that day. I can share with confidence how God intervened and walked with me through the fires of some major traumas in my lifetime. Why, then, was I so undone over this incident? Of course, I wanted my money back. Certainly, I didn’t like being scammed by someone who was supposed to be a reputable representative. Naturally we were upset by suddenly having no credit cards.   Yet … I have friends facing Covid hospitalizations, livlihood losses, loss of family members, positive test quarantines, and grandchildren struggling to gain a normal in-person education. We see lots of suffering all around us. As I prayed that night, I knew I needed to regroup and let my Father God be my Source of peace again. How easy it is to walk away from His great love and light, to let worry fray my spirit, and weigh my heart.   I am reminded that God’s Divine power has given me (and you) everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him. He called us by his own glory and goodness (I Peter 1:3). In verse 5, we are admonished to “make every effort to add to our faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” If we have these qualities increasing, it will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.   So, my reminder to self is that I don’t have to let little challenges in life rob me of my joy. Knowing how God was faithful to me in the most daunting of losses and heartaches, He will be faithful even in the small things. He will help me navigate even in the day-to-day junk.

I hope this song by Michael W. Smith will bring joy to your heart as it reminds us God is here for you. This song also makes a beautiful love song if you have a special person you wish to encourage this Valentine’s Day. Take a listen. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=M-hgLP9YKiA&feature=share Lyrics: When you feel the sunlight Fade into the cold night Don’t know where to turn I don’t know where to turn And all the dreams you’re dreaming Seem to lose their meaning Let me in your world Baby, let me in your world All you need is someone you can hold Don’t be sad, you’re not alone