The Perfect Collie
On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. Psalm 138:3
It was a teary day as we said good-bye to Feather, the perfect collie. Yes, she was everything you would ever want to find in that breed. Feather was beautiful, sensitive, loyal, protective, responded well to a gentle voice and was certainly a great watch dog. After developing hip dysplasia, the quality of her life took a serious downward spiral but she never whimpered about it.
The most difficult part about having a pet is the decision to let them go and then watching them take their last breath. That question lingers, “Am I making the right decision?” After the procedure, you reflect and become aware of all the things she could no longer do; you know it was the time.
Have you ever wondered what people will say about you after you’re gone? Surely there will be tears, right? Will they talk about your love of Jesus, how you cared and shared or will it be a somber gathering? Of course, none of us can be the perfect Christian but are we doing the very best we can?
Feather wanted to please. She reacted positively to a gentle voice but seemed to cringe with harshness or loud noises. (She even tolerated almost a full year of a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy without biting his head off!) Oh, the life-lessons we could learn from our pets. Do we strive to please our Master?
If you were to write your own eulogy, what would it say? Be careful! It is so much easier to focus on all the things that you have done wrong during your lifetime. Take a moment to think about the positive high points and be grateful.
I firmly believe that God brings people (and pets) into our lives to learn from them and they learn from us. As Christians, school never ends!
Father God, thank You for the special times You give us with people and our pets. Comfort us when they leave us and help us to remember what they have taught us. AMEN.