God blessed me with quite a few doggies in my life. He knew that I had had a difficult life--one filled with sadness over the loss of my beloved father when I was too young to comprehend resurrection and God's faithfulness to his children. He knew that I had a difficult life in which a person whom I should have been able to trust sexually abused me, thereby rendering me unable to trust, forgive, be merciful and/or love.

God in his infinite wisdom brought into my life my dogs--Fluffy, Sheba, Queue, Shango, Dakota and Dee Dee--to help me to learn to trust again, to love again, to reach out again and to let God in. Over the many years that I have had my friends, I have learned to let God in because how can you not see the love dogs have for their owners? They always lick your face, and come running when you come home from work or school. Even when you get annoyed with them for messing up the house or something--they look at you and say it is okay and they kiss you.

God in his infinite wisdom knew that I would open up because of the faithfulness of my beloved dogs. Now as I prepare to say goodbye to the last of my faithful friends, I am reaching out to my faithful God and asking him to indeed hold a place in heaven for my beloved friends because they have done their job and well. I only wish that all people could understand that these children of God have a lot to teach all of us. No one of God's creatures deserves to be abused. They are God's messengers too!

Jane
  Columbia, Md
Wednesday, July 01, 2009

After my back surgery due to scoliosis I received nerve damage. It took years of hospital visits and days spent in agony before doctors figured out my pain was due to damaged nerves. Most of my high school years were spent sick, tired and depressed. I had lost friends, hope, inspiration. The worst thing that got to me was that I had nothing to offer or to do except sleep, do homework and try to get better. I prayed to God to give me a gift of some sort that my days wouldn't be spent in such despair. After a bad day I walked along the river finding an abandoned goose egg. Animals have always played a big part in my life but I never expected a goose above all animals to have helped me so much. Raising this bird gave me purpose, a reason to get out of bed. Something needed me; there was a reason to live. This little goose taught me about new beginnings, hope and faith. Gave me the strength to keep on trying. And helped me gain strength to my weak body. He also helped me realize that I do have a gift and that is to tend to God's creatures big and small, magnificent and silly. I am now going to school for Veterinary Technology, working hard to care for God's creatures and bring people closer to their fury companions. As every single one of God's creations has a purpose--even a sick girl and her little goose.

Alexandra
  Hays, KS
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

One night as my husband was retrieving something from the car he slammed the door shut, not realizing that our little chihuahua, Sam, thought that they were going for a ride and had tried to jump in. The door shut on Sam's head, injuring him severely. The vets, a husband & wife team, held out very little hope for him. They told us that IF he survived the chances were small that he would be functional. Heartbroken, I went home & sat at the kitchen table, crying & praying for Sam's recovery. And then I heard Someone say, "Don't worry. Everything will be all right." The most incredible feeling of peace flowed through me.

The next morning I went to the vet's office to see Sam & she carried him into the room in her arms. He lifted his head to look at me and I knew that everything truly would be all right. Soon he could take a step or two and then he would topple over, but he was on the road to recovery. His injury had produced many obstacles for him to overcome: seizures, deafness in one ear which caused his neck to project to one side, blindness in one eye.

Recovery didn't happen overnight, but every day it seemed, I could see progress - the most amazing being his eye.

The vet had told me that the eye was a "goner" and he advised me to allow them to remove it & sew the lid shut. But I said that I would like to give it some time and see what happens. So every 2 hours I put artificial tears in his eye and at night a salve to keep it moist. It was encrusted with a hard yellow shell. After some time, I was sure that I was seeing improvement. The yellow shell had gone and the eye was clearing. I took him back to our vet & asked him to look at Sam's eye again. He was incredulous and said, "I can't believe this - it's impossible! That eye was a goner! I'm taking him in to show my wife - she won't believe it either!" Sam is gone now, but he lived another 13 years and his recovery was complete.

In my opinion nothing short of a miracle - a sign of God's love for all of His creatures.

Terry
  Waterloo, Iowa
Tuesday, June 02, 2009

In Febuary I wrote a short note on the love of Christ and the loss of my 14-year-old companion William. During the last week of April my wife and I went to the local humane society and brought home a 5-month-old skinny little male kitten/cat who we have named Montgomery. For many weeks my heart had been so empty after William's passing. I was afraid that I would not find another cat with the same loving spirit as William had. I searched and searched shelters and services but there just were no kittens out there that fit the bill for my family or for me. I prayed a lot over those weeks. I prayed for William's gentle little soul while also praying that Chrtist would help me find a new tiny guy.

As luck would have it I found Monty at the local animal control center. He immediatley bonded with my wife and me when we went to see him. After bringing him home he became a part of our family in just days. Now when I come home every day he is there to greet me with meows and rubs. He plays fetch with receipt paper balls and cries if we won't pick him up.

Once again I can see so clearly how Christ's love is spread from one entity to another. On top of that I now understand Saint Francis' ideas about the world even more. We share this place with animals and we should revel every day in the love and caring that only our knowledge of Christ and his love can bring us. Monty and William will always be a part of our families' love for each other and we thank the Lord every day for the chance we have had to experience this love in such a full and complete way.

I miss William, but Monty's love and the love of Christ have helped to heal those wounds. I am on the mend.

Frank
  San Jose, Cal
Thursday, May 28, 2009