Hiya All
I have a little cavalier spaniel, her name is Holly. I didn't pick her, she picked me. I took my niece to 'go see the puppies' Let me assure you I had no intentions of buying a dog.
[my thinking then was; Who needs the hassle of walking, feeding, caring for etc. I'd just got a newfound freedom after my kids had left home, why waste it on a dog?]
When we were there, this little pup in particular kept pulling at the hem of my jeans. I put her away from me a couple of times, but she even followed me to the kitchen of the house,[tsk] so, I picked her up.....................well, the rest is history as they say. As she sat there, in the palm of one hand, looking at me with those sincere 'dinner plate' eyes, any thought of personal freedom without a pet was doomed!
I have to say what we all know already, What an amazingly clever God we have. He would know even then, that when my loved one killed himself, [a year later] that I would absolutely need, a reason to get up every day, go out, [she needs to toilet] go to the shops, [and meet folk on the way] There was no person who could penetrate through the darkness and broken-ness that was in me at the time [much as I loved them too] Had I not had Holly, I would never have got up again, it was all too much and I'd thrown in the towel. God was having none of it, by giving me Holly, He made sure I would go on because ultimately he knew that no matter how bad I was, I would never let an animal suffer by neglect or starvation and would get up and tend to her needs before thinking about my own.
As it was, she knew something was very wrong. She stayed close, was not as mischeivous as normal, and cuddled in at every opportunity. Can you believe it? drawing a lot of strength from a DOG? I certainly wouldn't have thought so before. Mind you, I wouldn't have thought of a lot of things before that time.
I believe I learned a lot about God in that time, through her. So yes, I pray to God to keep her safe but if it is His will to take her from me, then to give me the strength to cope with it.
I agree that there are a lot of things wrong in the world that we should remember in our prayers, but I ask, would NOT praying for our much loved animals make it a better place? I for one , doubt it.
Angie
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