A Call To The Remnant

Even in this state she was still doing her best to serve me, her master. As I stood there shedding a few tears, I realized what an example my dog was for me as a Christian. She was loyal to a fault. Even in her weakened state, her priority was to serve me and to please me.

MY DOG DIED TODAY 

Today my dog died(Sat 16th of Feb, 2008) I studied theology in Bible School so I can safely say I have no Scripture to support my notion that I will meet my dog again one day 🙂 Callie was a thriteen year old Golden Lab. She was an enormous blessing to our family and never, not once, did she bear her teeth or even snap at anyone.

She would lie at my feet and rest her head on my foot. I would go to the bathroom and when I got out, she would be there. She had a very comfortable bed downstairs but most nights she slept outside our room. About a year ago her back legs started to go. We put her on a certain drug and it really helped for a while. Then several months ago she developed a lump on her front right leg. After tests it was determined to be cancer.

The vet said that the only solution was to amputate, but given the condition of her back legs, it was not really viable. So the lump grew rapidly until it was the size of a watermelon. She was never in any pain, and her never ending tail continued wagging as it always had. She now went into the front yard to go to the bathroom, as she could not make the stairs at the back. Eventually she needed help getting up the front two steps.

This last week she lost interest in food. Not usual for Callie at all. I knew the time was very near to make the call. I made the decision on Friday and we called the vet to set up the appointment. On Friday evening I took her out into the front yard for the last time. As I stood on the porch, she hobbled over to the paper that was in the driveway. Did I mention that my dog was the smartest dog in the sub-division? The envy of all the other men as she would collect my paper?

Even in this state she was still doing her best to serve me, her master. As I stood there shedding a few tears, I realized what an example my dog was for me as a Christian. She was loyal to a fault. Even in her weakened state, her priority was to serve me and to please me. I prayed to the Lord and shared with Him that I hoped that I would be that loyal to him, right up until the end. That I would try and please him all the days of my life and serve Him with my last breath.

I could not sleep Friday evening. I got up at 2.30 and did some things on the computer, then went back to my restless sleep. Saturday came. With difficulty my oldest son and I got her in the back of the car. We arrived at the vets office and they had a room, with a sofa and some things in it. It was not a clinical room.

Callie started to breathe heavily, somehow she sensed what was coming. I had so many conflicting emotions as I calmed her. Was I making the right decision? Was it too early? Should I not wait another couple of weeks? She was given the sedative, at my feet. And slowly, very slowly, slower than they had said, she lowered her head and it came to rest on my foot. She died in her favorite position, her head on my foot.

I can only wish that when my time comes to leave this earth, that I will be found at my own masters feet, loyal to the end. Callie’s tail was still wagging(her tail wagged right up until she lowered her head) That should be the end of Callie’s story. We drove home, my son and I , silently. I got home about thirty minutes later. I made some calls and about an hour after she died I called one of my best friends, a great Christian brother.

As I was talking to him I looked at my front door. Incredibly, there at my front door was a Golden Lab, just sitting there. I told my buddy I would call him back. I opened the door and in bounded this young Golden Lab,maybe about six years old.It ran right past me and ran around sniffing everything. I got a hold of his collar, he was young and strong, I could feel his strength.

His name was lucky and I called the number on his tag. A man answered and I told him that I had his dog in my living room. He was surprised, he did not even know his dog was gone and said that the kids must have left the gate open. He came over about five minutes later and collected his dog. I told him our dog had just died about an hour before, kinda freaked him out a bit. He thanked and called his dog to come. The dog did not want to leave and he was somewhat embarrassed that he had to tease the dog out the door.

He told me that he lived three streets away and that his dog had got out before, but had never ventured past the street. So in order for the dog to be sitting on my porch, he had to make a left, go down two streets, another left, then a right into our cul-de sac. We live at the very end of a deep cul-de-sac, where there are three houses, twelve houses in total in our cul-de sac. As I sat and thought about the odds of this dog ending up at my porch, a small still voice spoke into my spirit”Frank, you made the right descision.”

Well, I wept and then I wept and then I wept some more. The God of all creation, had brought a very healthy Golden Lab, to my very door to remind me what healthy dog hould look like. Callie had been sick for so long I had forgotten. Yes, this God of all creation cares about the smallest aspects of our lives. He knew my pain, He knew my doubt about having done the right thing, and he caused this small miracle to allieve my suffering.

Is it possible that I love Him even more now? Yes a mighty God, Creator of all things big and small. So vast in his glory and splendour, so all consuming, so majestic, so loving of His people. He knows every hair of our head, He cares about the smallest details of our lives, He is glorious and I praise His name this day…………..Frank