Tuesday, September 4, 2007

My last post on this subject, I promse

Well, I sat down to write a post whining about how much I miss my dog, but the thoughts seem to have taken a different turn in my mind (no surprise, really). I was thinking about how many things I do during the day without thinking about them, relating to Spanky. I was sitting in a recliner yesterday and when I went to get up, I first looked down at the floor to make sure Spanky wasn't lying under my feet, which he used to do often. He was totally devoted and would follow me literally around the house. When I went to the laundry room, he went to the laundry room. When I went to the bathroom, he would lie right outside the door and wait for me to come out. I wish I were that devoted to my Master. And sometimes if he knew I was going to a certain room, he would try to walk right in front of me, always getting under my feet. I wonder if God feels like that about me when I try to get ahead of him?

I think about Spanky when I walk past the place where his food and water were kept in the kitchen, which is now empty. And I marvel at his perfect trust in me, that I would never forget to feed him. I wish I had that great a faith in my Master.

I think about Spanky every time I talk to Pete, thinking, "I'll never get to talk sweet to Spanky again." It reminds me to talk sweet to the people in my life, those I love and those I don't even know, while I have today.

I think about how a dog is such a little, unimportant thing, yet he was important enough for God Almighty to send him here to us. You see, many years ago, I desperately wanted a Yorkie, but we were a young military family and could never afford the $600 price of one. So I started praying. Yes, for a dog. I figured God said, "Ye have not because ye ask not," so I would start asking. Begging. Likely driving God crazy until He said, "OK ALREADY!" One day I got an e-mail from a breeder 3 hours from our home saying she had an 8 week old puppy that was too big to sell, couldn't be bred or shown, but was healthy and I could HAVE him if I wanted him. I called her that instant and 3 hours later we were at her house and she handed me the most precious three-pound ball of fluff I'd ever held. I've thanked God continually for 9 1/2 years for Spanky. It was no accident that he was ours - it was an answer to fervent prayer.

When Spanky became sick, it was very sudden. He went from healthy to euthanized in 18 hours. We wanted to keep him alive more than anything, yet it was best for him for us to put him to rest. It was an act of mercy. It's always been hard for me to understand mercy from God's viewpoint, but this has helped give me just a glimpse of what it means from the other side.

Spanky was worth so much more than just a companion or a pet. We have learned so much from getting him, from having him over the years, and from letting him go. What a precious gift from God.

Be thankful ~

Karen

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

that is sad, and you go ahead and blog about Spanky as much as you need to.

by the way, i *love* seeing the pictures of your kids. that is quite a friend Elijah has over his shoulder. better a snake than a tarantula...

{ jessica } said...

I'm so sorry to hear of Spanky. He was a great dog (any dog is great when they can handle an army of 12 invading their home!). I can't imagine losing one of my dogs... I'm dreading that day.