This morning I sat at my desk dissolved in tears as I heard the strains of “Through the Eyes of Love” being played in the background while I tried to rid the sorrow I had just finished reading of the death of a little Yorkie (dog) who died at age 3 from a previously undiagnosed problem until during surgery it became an unfixable problem. First of all the little doggie had been loved from the moment of his birth and in the way of little dogs he had given his whole heart to the people who so lovingly cared for him. He brought unbounded joy into their lives. They thought they were giving but as is so often the situation they learned that when trying to give, they gained so much more. They gave their time, energy, and effort to care for the little dog they named Dink and he in turn, gave them love that was never measured, never questioned, never given on the basis of, “I’ll love you if…” His love was unquestionably just given.
As I sat there, shoulders shaking, tears flowing, I started talking to God as I so often do when happy and sad emotions swirl. I spoke to Him about how thankful I am that He made these little dogs because they add so much to our lives. I told Him how sad it makes me that their lives are cut so short sometimes. And I sat. And I wondered why. And I thanked Him for our two little dogs named Max and Missy.
At that point I stopped talking and sat to listen to more of my thoughts and consider: perhaps He has made these little guys to teach us more about His kind of love. He doesn’t measure His love to us by saying, “If you do this, I’ll give you this much of Myself…” or, “I’ll only love you if…” No, the scripture teaches us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God is Love and He has given us the Greatest Gift: Himself….all of Himself.
I hope none will take offense in the comparison that my thoughts then turned to: then why don’t we practice God’s kind of love and while on this earth try to learn the lesson the little dogs have also set before us? They have been known to “turn the other cheek” by licking the hand that has beat them. Yet, they show an amazing ability to forgive wrongs by giving their love away lavishly, unquestionably, and in a no-strings-attached way? Could we try to do likewise? It’s called unconditional love.
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 11-3-08
Gone2thedoggies.com
4 years ago
