10-Pound Miracle Dog Inspires Lesson
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Col. 3:17
I would give just about anything to say I no longer lose my temper. But I would be lying. For despite some years now of desperately pleading with the Lord to help me to walk in His love – perfectly mind you – I still fall so very far short of His glory. Yes, I repent. I repent quickly. I repent with true godly sorrow, wanting more by the very breath to love, please, adore, and worship the Lord whom I love more than anything or anyone in the universe. But sometimes I still find myself fallen flat on my face – or on the ground in the case of the day He by His Spirit used a 10-pound miracle dog to teach me a mighty powerful lesson.
I was squatted down on the ground with 10-pound Little Miss Miracles, a severely disabled dog with cancer who had recently lost her ability to walk without my propping her up in the air with my hands. She had already lived almost 3 years past the time her first vet believed she would live. Major battle after battle, she came out the other end with a vigorous, my-life-isn’t-over attitude of endurance. Despite her now inability to walk on her own, along with a foot wound and her congestion / breathing issue, she refused to simply squat and go to the bathroom. She wanted to walk – fast. So I had to chase after her in a squatting position low to the ground. Uncomfortable. Time-consuming. With 2 paralyzed dogs, 3 incontinent dogs, and the continual needs of the now 12 special needs and senior rescued dogs, along with the responsibilities of a growing ministry, I found myself raging angry, over-the-top impatient, and had less than 24 hours before lost my temper verbally with her deplorably. She refused to pee, and I gave up crawling-squatting after her. I repented but felt the aftermath of something yucky until later God’s Spirit moved on my heart.
Who am I to not humble myself and lower myself to the ground and go the distance in love and endurance with a 10-pound dog God created in service to Christ as God uses the dogs to teach me how to walk in His love when Jesus Christ humbled Himself and lowered Himself all the way from heaven down to this earth amidst all of humanity’s wickedness and went to the cross to die so that all who repent and believe in Him as Lord and turn to God and His ways are forgiven and given a relationship with God now and forever in heaven?
Who are any of us to not humble ourselves and lower ourselves to the ground and to lovingly, gladly, thankfully, do whatever God has called us to as servants of Christ? Serving Christ isn’t about happiness and comfort. It’s about denying ourselves and expressing our love and thanksgiving to God in Christ in reverence, submission, and service to Him!