ME IN MOTION “NOTHING AND EVERYTHING” TOUR BLOG 6:
Winnie
I got a call from my dad yesterday as we were driving through Texas. He told me that earlier that afternoon he finally decided to put our family dog, Winnie, to sleep. She was getting really old and my parents had been talking about it for a while. Every time it came up in conversation, I successfully convinced them to put it off a little bit longer. But as her breathing became increasingly labored, they finally made the decision to put her down.
I remember the day we got her. It was probably over 15 years ago. I think I was in the 5th grade. We picked her up after church one Sunday from a family who was giving away puppies. She was a good dog. Not too big, not too small. She was jet black with pointy little wolf-like ears that always perked up when somebody walked through the front door. She was half chow and reminded me of white fang, or maybe ‘black fang’ diligently pulling her sled across the snowy tundra. To be honest with you. I always thought people who got emotional over the death of a pet were a little cookoo, but as I started thinking about the next visit home to a house without Winnie, I could feel the sadness start to rise in my throat.
I know most of you reading this never met my dog. She doesn’t really mean anything to you. To those of you who did know her, you know that she meant a lot to my family, but especially my dad. She was his dog. She always followed him around, she would choose his feet to curl up next to by the couch. He took her on walks, gave her “treats” and sometimes he would let her hop in the back seat of the little green mazda for a drive around town. She was smart, obedient, and always there when we needed a companion. I think it’s going to be especially hard for my parents since my sister and I each got married this past summer and their house will be left even more empty.
I was reminded of a passage in the new testament as I thought about Winnie. Matthew 10:29 says “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” God knows about every little detail in our lives. The Bible also tells us that the very hairs of our head are all numbered. For me that’s easy- zero. 😉 Jesus also compares God’s love to a shepard who left 99 to find the 1 that was lost. Don’t forget that no matter how small or minute you may think your problems are, he is aware, and he cares. Just as he cares for my dog, and my family as we all will miss her, he cares for you and knows your pain.
