Pets

Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life.

But let me start at the beginning...

Six years ago my husband and I decided to get a dog.  Knowing we wanted a Labrador, we began our search.  It led us to a Pet Store, where there was one litter of Black Labs.  We requested a female, but the Clerk said there were only males left.  Imagine our surprise when there was one sweet little girl found among all the boys!  We knew right away she was the one we would be taking home with us.  It was Christmas Eve.

For the past six years Belle has seen us through many Seasons of our life.  Through joy and through sorrow.  She was a smart, faithful friend, and a gentle companion.  She was always wanting a hug and a kiss, and she gave them right back to us!  She wanted to be by our sides continually.  She made us laugh and brought joy into our lives.  She helped me through the death of my Mom and the death of my Sister.  She was my help when I was sick and my company when I was lonely.

Many times while kneeling at the foot of my bed, praying to God, she would be sitting beside me.  My constant friend.

A few months back she hurt her leg and would require TPLO surgery.  It would be thousands of dollars, months of recovery, and no guarantee she would wake up from her surgery.  So we decided to put her on pain medicine.  After three months, concerns for her liver and kidneys arose, and she was in a lot of pain.  

A hard decision was made.  Do we want her in pain for our own selfish reasons, or was it time to let her go?

And that brings me to yesterday.

We decided to let her go. 

"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:"  Proverbs 12:10a

As I cradled Belle's head in my lap and kissed her nose as she left this world, I knew that the Lord was with me in my grief.  I knew His angels were already ministering to me, helping me get through this and I knew that the Lord was already collecting my tears.  (Psalm 56:8)

Through pain, I could still thank God for giving me such a special gift.

Someone once said, "Having a dog will bless you with the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst days."  I believe that to be true-

    But that's just me.

"I've heard it said, this too shall pass,

The joy will come, that the hurt won't last,

So I will trust that within His grasp,

I am not alone-

For He will not let go."  Lyrics by Laura Story

Her ears were often the first thing to catch my tears.....Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."  A.A. Milne