Nestled Midst the Grief

It was a hard day. There were a few crises, most before 10 a.m. One was that Mom K was doing very poorly, so Arvo spent the day with her in the ER, and then she was admitted to the hospital. She will be there at least through this morning. She may need skilled nursing upon discharge. We don't know yet. If she does, we will be scrambling to find a place. She is 88 years old, and we know sometimes the poor old body is just ready to throw in the towel. It doesn't make it any easier to deal with how sad and hard it is when a loved one is failing, but it is the way of life.

But I also had a happy surprise. I was on Facebook (FB) and someone contacted me. She had read my book about Honeybun, and wanted me to join her FB group- the Carolina Dog Rescue! I never knew there was a Carolina Dog Rescue. I joined immediately, and met a whole host of wonderful people, with pages of pictures of their dogs that look just like Honeybun. There was an instant rapport with all the Carolina Dog lovers. I guess it is akin to my brother-in-laws connection with fellow Miata car lovers. There is something special, he claims, about those who drive Miatas, and there is something special, I think, about people who love Carolina Dogs (CD).

I felt like a celebrity. There, at the top of their group page was my book, and a whole host of people saying, "This sure looks like a Carolina Dog on the cover. Is this book about a CD? Has anyone read it?"
Then, when I started chatting with them, I discovered a whole host of common traits between their dogs and my Honeybun. And one of the people went to my old church!
It was like a reunion. It was almost as though God knew there was only so much grief one could handle in a day, and it needed to be balanced with love, connection with others, and hope.

At the end of the discussion, one woman said she had to go, get some sleep, as early in the morning, she was transporting a rescued CD who had been languishing in a shelter, to his new home. As I drifted to sleep myself, alongside the sadness of dying loved ones nestled the image of a family embracing their new dog, rescued from death.

I could not help but think of how all of us have been rescued from death- though our body, like Mom K's will disintegrate. All that is required is that we believe the Rescuer has come for us, and when He opens the door, walk through it to our eternal home.

Acts 10:43 (NIV)
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

John 1:12-13 (NIV)
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 3:15 (NIV)
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”




-save a dog- hollowcreekfarm.org