Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Sometimes I get overwhelmed with God’s good gifts.
About 17 years ago, a friend asked if our son would take their little shih poo puppy. What kind of dog is that? Definitely not the Labrador, German Shorthair or Dachshund he (or his dad) would have wanted. But in spite of mismatched expectations, Beaumont became a part of our family. I can’t imagine a sweeter dog. When Josiah left for college, Beau would actually sleep in front of the door to his empty bedroom!
I’ve heard 17 years is a long time for a dog to live, and the last few years took a toll on Beau. His vision, hearing and smell all started to decline. Even his tail started going bald. He began having minor strokes which left him disoriented. He stopped following me from room to room and no longer ran up to the car to greet me when I got home. His back legs became so unsteady that we had to carry him up and down the stairs. But because he didn’t seem to be in physical pain…. I just couldn’t put him down.
So we prayed God would let him die naturally. He would have a bad day, but then the next day bounce back (relatively speaking), as I kept crying out to God. Lord please don’t have us make the decision.
One morning last week, he barely moved as I lifted him out of his crate. I carried him downstairs and laid him down on his rug before leaving the house. When I got home a few hours later, he was laying still, but managed to lift his head when I walked in the door. I picked him up and within minutes, Beau breathed his last. Not only did God answer our prayers for Beau to die naturally, he went even further. He let me get home and hold him as he died. What sweet, tender comfort from a Father who cares about even the little parts of our lives.
There’s plenty of unlovely things going on in the world right now. But we serve a God who still gives good gifts to those who ask him. Ahhh, let’s never forget it.
The love of our pets is such a special gift. I am so thankful you could be with Beau at the end.