The Goodbye

My stinky dog is not doing well, still. Her quality of life is very poor, and it seems to me that she is not that happy. She is unable to go in the truck with me, like she use to. She sleeps her days away, and her nights. She is challenged to walk up and down our stairs. She does not like to be touched, but prefers to be alone. It is sad, because it is very different than the way she once was. She still wags her tail when I come into the room and she still lays on the bed, but it's not the same. She is in pain.
She is going to die. We know that we need to allow that to happen so she won't be miserable. We know that after she dies we will take her and put her in a special place with her blanket and her teddy bear. It will be sad. I will be sad.
God brings me through steps all the time and I notice that life is full of wonderful Hello's and sad Goodbye's. It is full of time's when I just say "see ya later" or I just say nothing at all. It is a blessing, and sometimes it feels like a curse. Life is what it is and the more I go with it, and hand it over to God, the more I surrender it, the more I see the beauty. At the same time, the more I surrender it, the more I see how messed up it is!
I will get another dog, and I will love that dog too. But, in my heart I will always have a place that is very special for my stinky dog and all the stories I have told about her. I will remember all the life lessons God has taught me through her, and pray that growth in my heart continues.
So, Jesus, give my stinky dog a great place to live in heaven, with air fresheners and sandy beaches to run on. Jesus, give her a big soft bed with pillows and bears too, she big and she likes to cuddle up to softness. She has been a blessing in my life, a great comfort and joy for every day for seven years now. I really love her. So, thank you Jesus for giving her to me.
I want to Say That Again, Thank you for the blessing of my Stinky dog!