My Precious Bo
Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal.
My best friends throughout my life have been my animals, whether a sixteen-hand quarter horse, a crazy Siamese cat, or a fabulous puppy. When I was just five years old, I lost my dad to ALS. My wonderful, thoughtful Uncle Phil walked a couple of miles to bring me this moving feed bag and place it on the lawn and then told me it was mine. Inside was this amazing, gorgeous German shepherd pup who became my constant companion and therapy dog, Major, although back then they were just called dogs. The other night we came home after being with a precious family whose young husband and father was dying. My heart was heavy at losing him and heavy for his dear family. I just needed to be alone and process my emotions and just breathe. Bo, my buddy, a handsome, young German shepherd, was hanging out with me. It felt like he sensed my mood and wanted to cheer me up. He went to his dog sack and got out the biggest stuffed toy in there. He came and dropped it on my lap. As soon as I reached out for it, he quickly grabbed it and started a tug-of-war, shaking and yanking the stuffed toy as hard as he could. Thus began a crazy, fun tug game that went on until there wasn’t a piece of the poor stuffed character left. He made me laugh and pat and grab and slide off my chair throughout the game. When it was all said and done, the room was covered in white, fluffy stuffing, all over the rug and floating in the air. He had ministered comfort, laughter and togetherness to me. We ended with big cuddles and tender nuzzling. Dogs are smart having instinctual intuition put there by the One who knows all, and our heavenly Father knows just how to precisely bring release to us as humans. We humans don’t know exactly how our pets have these mental capabilities, other than Almighty God has engineered them into their DNA. Dogs can be so empathetic. My dogs have sensed when I have become sadly overwhelmed when I had received the news of a loved one’s passing. They both, Peanut, our miniature Schnauzer, and Bo, both wanted to be near me and kept checking on me with watchful eyes and gentle nudges. Our dogs trust our judgment and will look to us for guidance. They want to enjoy things and happenings with you. They may not be hungry but see you putting samplings and tidbits in your mouth while grilling, and just want to be a part of it all with you. I’m thankful for my constant friends, these two loving and constant companions. Even as I write this devotional, Peanut is asleep at my feet cuddled as close as he can get and is dreaming and quietly barking in his sleep. I look forward to bedtime knowing he will find his spot snuggled up as close as he can get beside me. What a powerful, caring and thoughtful God to create such creatures for us mere mortal humans. His great love for us is past finding out. I want to thank Him now for creating my loving pets throughout my life and honestly, I believe I’ll see them all again in heaven. What fun that will be!
What about you? Are you a pet owner who loves their pets so much? Or maybe you don’t like having a pet, yet there are other things that bring joy and comfort to you. God knows us intimately and knows how to draw close especially in our times of great need. Notice His great love and care for you today and give Him high praise and thanksgiving for His love for you. Blessings on your day.
