A Blessing & Best Friend

A True Gift I Will Always Treasure

As I sit in my grief losing Schulz, I try to “man up” or find some condolence in, saying to myself, “you’re not the first person to lose a dog”. Then it quickly dawns on me, I am the first person to lose THIS dog.

Dog, God Spelled Backwards:

I may know now why God doesn’t let dogs live longer lives. I always thought that was so “flawed” – my thinking of course.

Dogs are an earthly manifestation of God’s unconditional love, innocence, a sinless life lived and longing to be in relationship with us. My dog never remembers my wrongs or holds them against me. He is always happy to see me come home no matter my mood, how my day was, how I neglected to love and acknowledge him that morning because I was too busy and even if he is feeling under the weather, he loves me. Always happy to see me. Always glad I come home to him.

That’s how God loves me. That is how He loves me! And if he let dogs live too long, maybe we’d forget God in lieu of Dog. Easy to do. They are a slice of heaven on earth. But they are not the heaven of eternal glory. They are not God. And when they pass we realize that painful separation. I think God wants us to feel that, know that. That separation is Hell, literally. And right now, He’s giving me a taste of what that feels like. Hell, indeed. He is waiting for us, for me, on the other side of this grief and separation from my dog. He’s waiting for us, for me on the other side of this life on earth and all it’s grief, pain, injustice and suffering.

God  waits with unconditional love. No memory of our wrongs. Forgiveness. Joy in relationship. I guess losing Schulz is a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us and the hole in the heart He purposely made so we would seek relationship with Him which is everlasting and transcends pain, grief and death. He has conquered all of that. He did that for me.

I know God will walk beside me in the valley I am going through, help me transition my dog, let go and then help me be still, and know He is God.

I never knew how much a man needed a dog, I never knew how much a boy needed a puppy.. I never knew how much I need God.

Thank you Jesus for this moment. You know in your perfection, your plan for me, how to draw me near. Amen.

You have taught me how to love and care for another in this raw moment. Nothing else matters but this. To set aside my life, in these moments, for a beautiful being that would lay down his life for me.

Shulz was so loving to animals and humans alike.