Redeeming the Pain

Seeing the best in people isn't always easy.  Since the kennel allows me to see people with their dogs, I often see a side others do not.  It's that soft, squishy side - the one that baby talks to our pets.

This week I learned a former kennel client died.  And though she died months ago, I was still sad because she was quite young and seemed to die alone.

She showed up on a blustery, icy winter day wearing clothes that were certainly not appropriate for the weather.  One might say they wouldn't be appropriate for humans to wear period. It wasn't hard to see why she was the subject of scandal.

At that time, I didn't know the scandal, I just saw a mismatched couple in every sense of the word.  And their dog.  They sure loved that dog.

Over the years, I got to know her better.  And her dogs.  She seemed to have many.  Then her husband got sick.  Then he died.

Her husband plucked her out of a seriously bad situation.  Like the dogs she rescued from the pounds, she was redeemed by love, even if it looked odd and maybe questionable.

After he died, I saw her make some terrible choices.  She just couldn't pull herself together.  We had some interesting conversations.

But sometimes I think I should have done more.

It can be a tricky, trying to decide just how much to get to know a person, and what you may say to them.  If I could have one more conversation with her, I would have reminded her that the love her husband had for her didn't die.  Love never dies.  God is love.  God's Son, Jesus, showed up in the flesh, suffered horribly and loved abundantly.  He redeemed our pain.  His love never dies.  His love redeems.

I hope she knew that somewhere deep in her heart.  Because it's true for her and it's true for me and it's true for you.

In case you didn't know that, or maybe you just forgot, it's true.  He's there, waiting for you to bring that pain, loss, doubt and stumbling blocks.  Just don't wait too long.

Closer

It happened.  Tilly and Emmit actually leaned on each other.  Though they still aren't playing, they do seem to comfort each other by being physically close such as here and on the couch.

We often have to overcome obstacles to get close to someone else.  Perhaps they've hurt you in the past, or it's just hard to get to know them.  Trust can take a longer time for some than others. 

The same is true of our relationship with God.  Even though He is always there, calling us, we often hesitate.  We've been hurt before, often by those claiming to be His People (and, often really are).  We don't trust what we can't see easily, yet we may be compelled. 

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Comforting words.  The tough part is we take the first step.  However, His presence never fails.

I hope Tilly and Emmit continue to grow closer to each other, just as I hope to deepen my relationship with God.  It's certainly worth it.  And sometimes it's even cute.

The Changing Nature of Friendship

Okay, it's not the best picture, but these two little dogs became fast friends while they were boarded recently.

Little Rosie arrived with a dog friend, but the dog friend went home first.  Other dogs have come and gone, and still Rosie is here. 

Then, Oliver came and they were best little buddies.  Their little tails wagged and there was a lot of interested sniffing going on as well. 

Sometimes we are unsettled by friends who come and go in our lives.  The first time I heard the saying, "Friends are in your life for a reason, a season or for life" I was extremely annoyed.  However, it seems to prove out.  Some friendships change due to a geographic move, season of life, or changing interests.  While some transition smoothly, others end with a great deal of pain.

When this type of thing happens, it's important to remember that God never changes.  If we read about the God of Abraham and all the way through the God of Revelation, He is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He also said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

We understand the "leave you" part, but the forsaking?  What does that mean?  "To give up or leave entirely."  Oh, that is heart-wrenching, isn't it?  It's just too final.  Yet, it's likely that like me, you've experienced that heart break.  It feels like God has left the building.

Our loves and lives on earth are a shadow of what will last forever.  We know that our broken world is not how things are meant to be. Redemption of pain, vindication of evil are things that our spirits scream for, the lack of which causes despair.  But, the good news is the Good News.  God of the Universe is the powerful vindicator. He is our Healer of broken hearts.

And He won't leave.  Maybe our finite minds can't understand the "why", just as Rosie can not.  But we can understand, to a limited extent, the Who. 

Rosie's owner is coming back.  I tell her, but she doesn't understand.  But when her eyes see, she will believe.

Blessed is he who does not see and yet believes.  No matter how difficult that may be.

Finding Comfort

Franklin loves to groom Emmit.

 

Before Foster (Foster, the most awesome dog of all time) died, Franklin often licked his head and softly head-bumped him.  When Foster was gone, Tilly didn't tolerate his attention.  In the interest of full disclosure, when I considered adopting another dog, my hope was that Frank would have a new friend too.  And, from the above, you can see that he has.

(I'd also like to point out that cord is from the vacuum cleaner.  You don't see it often, but there it is - proof that every now and then I clean. Don't count on seeing it again anytime soon.)

Emmit has been on the Gold Coast now for five months now.  I rejoiced every day that the weather was miserable, because it was the first winter Emmit spent inside, reclining by the wood burner, with friends all around him.

There are those times when we are left out in the cold too.  We wonder why we've been neglected, stuck to the end of a chain with scarcely a friendly face in sight.  It's easy to look at the evidence and conclude we have been abandoned, forgotten, and the world is without a god.

But that whole time, Frank was in want of someone to comfort.  He experienced multiple rejections (and snaps) from Tilly.  Where was a friendly face who would appreciate him?

Sometimes we are the Frank. Sometimes we are the Emmit. 

Regardless of where and who we've been, it's good to remember that God is there, though invisible, longing to hold us, if we just will run to Him. 

Hairball

Fireball.
No, hairball.

Nothing assures one of their fabulous life like a 2:30 a.m. wake up call of the senior cat puking. The melodious sounds that lead up to the actual puking are something I wish I could record and use as a smoke alarm because I am instantly awake, the adrenalin pumping.

There she is.  Olive.  The Little Darling. 

At approximately eighteen years of age, Olive is bound to have some health issues that are least of all annoying and most of all somewhat destructive (we will not discuss my basement).  Olive has never been the cat that charmed anyone.  If anything, she is the epitome of why people don't like cats.  But she's been here since she was dumped off over seventeen years ago.

As life bumps along for each of us, it's inevitable that our personal journey and challenges are going to be least of all an inconvenience and most of all a major upset for those around us.  Some people seem to enjoy disrupting the lives of those around them, but most do not wish to share their burdens, not wishing to bother those around us with our cares.

Yet that is what we are supposed to do.

Jesus would never have told us to give him our burdens if he didn't want to lighten our load.  Sometimes he sends other people to do that.  And how can those around us who wish to help do so if we are unaware of the need? 

What about the reverse situation?  What if it is someone else's issue that is getting under our skin?  Something that we can do nothing to alleviate, and the condition may require getting our hands dirty?  Life, with others, gets messy.  Bearing each other's burdens.  Hmm....not really glamorous.  Not very convenient.  It may take up some time and mental space.  It may even be a hairball on the floor, one that you will step in later.

Like Olive, there are those around us who need kindness, even if their only redeeming value is they persist in living.  Too many people function with little to no support.  We want to brush them off, hoping some agency will serve them. 

If we are going to follow Jesus, it isn't the job we do or the places we go or the people we know that mean anything.  If we are transformed by Him, He said we can do anything.  And loving people is a big one, even if they are not fitting nicely into our schedule and ideas of how we want to spend our time.

Maybe you didn't need that reminder, but I did.

What a Difference Five Years Makes

Below is the post from five years ago.  Then, I was spending a couple months in Florida as I worked on my first novel.  Now, several books later, I'm looking at different scenery, and missing one of my best dogs ever.

http://tailsfromthekennel.blogspot.com/2011/02/tilly-sprints-beach.html

Tilly Sprints the Beach

For those of you tiring of cold weather, here's some refreshing scenery for you.

The Gift of a Broken Dream

Guess who joined us on a recent walk?

 

As you can see, Tilly didn't approve of Captain venturing out on the road, and Emmit tried to stop his progress.  But, oh, would Captain love to walk with his dogs. (For those concerned, this was taken very close to the house and he ran back quickly.)

If only he were a dog. If only he was brave enough to walk a mile by their side.  If only he was leash trained....

Captain can't fulfill this particular dream.

Perhaps you've had a dream (or two, or three, or more) that hasn't been fulfilled.

We live in a culture that promises us fairy tale lives with fairy tale endings.  When we believe this is reality, we are often bitterly disappointed.  Strangely, we don't blame the fair tale.  We blame God.

Sometimes our dreams are very good.  In fact, they are the kind of dreams that seem to come true for nearly everyone else.  Or so it seems.  We think that if we had those dreams it would mean both that God loved us AND we deserved it, that we would serve God greatly and He'd be honored if we had that.

And there are times we have a fulfilled dream, but it disappears.  That is when we figure that God not only is cruel, He does not love us, bless us, or want what is good for us.  Maybe we did everything right, and we didn't make an idol out of our good dream, but it was taken anyway.  Surely God is against us, if He's even there at all.

It's so easy to believe those lies.  The absence of our fairy tale is proof.  Somehow we believe that.

I've been there.  Have you?

If we are God's children and God is love, do we believe that God is a child abuser?  Perhaps we may feel that way on occasion, and even point to impressive evidence as proof.  But, I have to say I just can't buy it completely.

Because in my case and in many others, that shattered dream was swept up, thrown away, and rebuilt by a loving and perfect God.  While in no way has He made me perfect, all the pain was turned inside out and given to me as strength, and every now and then, courage.  In ways I could never have done on my own, I see the results of how God can rebuild, and every now and then, it looks pretty good.  In fact, it is supernatural, and not at all my own doing.  Others will tell you the same.  And it's what God promises, that He makes beauty from ashes. 

Turns out He doesn't promise us a fairy tale life and a fairy tale ending.  He promised to be there through all the tough stuff, to receive our brokenness and gives us His dreams, which are much better than the little hopes and small expectations we have.

Do we get an answer for our pain?  Sometimes a glimmer, maybe, but possibly never.  But we are given Presence - perfect and everlasting.

While we often can "only imagine" what is to come, we can get a taste of the Eternal and the Heavenly, when we humbly realize that as drivers in the driver's seat, we stink. 

Why can't Captain walk on the road?  Because he can't walk on a leash.  If he could, then he'd be safe, and he could fulfill that particular dream.  Sometimes we think that a leash is a means of restricting our freedom.  But in the hands of someone who understands safety, and what is ultimately good for us, then it becomes the means of walking down a road to adventure.