To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Check out verses 1-15 of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 –
A beautiful poem regarding how life and time are in the hands of our awesome Creator – Father God!
[we’ll discuss this at a later time]
I am here this morning to tell you about an event that occurred on Christmas Eve 2008 – one that has left me with pain in my heart!
To some it may even seem a “little silly” ... and there probably was a time in my life where I too, would have thought just that...
however –
I’ll back-track a little:
In 1996 we acquired a little Yorkie pup and named him Benson; a year later we acquired his half-sister and named her Sophie. Right from the get-go it was evident which one was the “boss”... Sophie took over as soon as she came in the house! And it was also very evident which “master” each dog preferred! Benson was “mine” and Sophie was “hubby’s”. I could tell you many tales about living with 2 dogs – albeit small ones. Only another “small dog lover” would appreciate these tales so I won’t bore you with them...
We lost Sophie during July 2008... she got sick – with liver disease – and after two days at the Vets we made the decision to euthanize her. That was so hard to do, and we have mourned her loss.
Hubby used to “cuddle” with her every night... She would let me know that she didn’t approve of me showing him affection by barking at me if I were to hug him!
As most of you are aware, the Christmas week threw everyone ‘for a loop’ because of the power being off so long!
I’m sure we all have stories of what that did to our “self-made plans”! I know God didn’t cause the power to be off – and, for the most part, I had a sense of peace as I was fully aware that HE was in control of all time - any “ranting and raving” and “discouragement” would be for naught!
So, I prayed a lot and I settled into Him, rebuked the devil, and did my best to live out Philippians 4:8...
I remember telling someone on Christmas Eve morning that I had just had a little “hissy fit” – ever have one of those? I just couldn’t believe the power had gone off - AGAIN! that the house would get cold ‘til we hooked up the generator – again! (we’d already unhooked it from both the shop and the house); and who knew if we’d be able to have a “hot” lunch rather than a sandwich! I soon told the old devil to “take a hike” – he wasn’t having me or this day! I settled in to selling turkeys in the shop, a sandwich for lunch, and had a good day! As it turned out, the power was off for most of the day! - coming on around 4 p.m.
Eventually, we settled in to the evening ... both of us exhausted – and went to bed at 9 p.m.
Around 10 p.m. the power flickered, the wind was blowing hard, the smoke detectors were beeping, and Benson started to bark!
I got up and let him out of his “room” (kennel) – and, as usual, he headed for the patio door to go out and do his duty! He didn’t come back quickly, so I put on my raincoat and went
outside to look for him - I couldn’t find him. I returned inside, went to the back door,
was calling for him when a van slowly drove by, turned around, and stopped by our driveway.
A lady got out, and in her arms she was carrying “my boy”...
she was crying and so was I ...
he had run into the road and she had hit him!
I believe he must have been disoriented and run towards the road instead of towards the house ... He was gone!
I can’t describe the pain that hit my heart! I tried to tell her not to worry – it wasn’t her fault!
And all I could think was, “Oh No! He’s gone! What’ll I do without him?” Hubby was still asleep – oblivious to anything that had happened! I hollered for him and he came to my rescue, taking Benson out of the house.
I cried and cried and cried. It was difficult to return to bed, knowing that he would not be there in the morning.
How quickly life can change for us!
Not only had we had to deal with the power issues; water issues; turkey issues; now we had to deal with the loss of a “part of our family”!
I wish I knew who the gal was in the van... I think I would recognize her again - I hope I will!
I pray that God will allow me to see her again! I want to thank her for not leaving Benson in the road; for trying to find his owners; for her tears of sympathy with me.
As simple as this is – I KNOW it is God’s grace... Caring about her; wanting to make her feel better about what occurred; wanting to ease her pain.
God’s Grace!
A time for every purpose under heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Check out verses 1-15 of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 –
A beautiful poem regarding how life and time are in the hands of our awesome Creator – Father God!
[we’ll discuss this at a later time]
I am here this morning to tell you about an event that occurred on Christmas Eve 2008 – one that has left me with pain in my heart!
To some it may even seem a “little silly” ... and there probably was a time in my life where I too, would have thought just that...
however –
I’ll back-track a little:
In 1996 we acquired a little Yorkie pup and named him Benson; a year later we acquired his half-sister and named her Sophie. Right from the get-go it was evident which one was the “boss”... Sophie took over as soon as she came in the house! And it was also very evident which “master” each dog preferred! Benson was “mine” and Sophie was “hubby’s”. I could tell you many tales about living with 2 dogs – albeit small ones. Only another “small dog lover” would appreciate these tales so I won’t bore you with them...
We lost Sophie during July 2008... she got sick – with liver disease – and after two days at the Vets we made the decision to euthanize her. That was so hard to do, and we have mourned her loss.
Hubby used to “cuddle” with her every night... She would let me know that she didn’t approve of me showing him affection by barking at me if I were to hug him!
As most of you are aware, the Christmas week threw everyone ‘for a loop’ because of the power being off so long!
I’m sure we all have stories of what that did to our “self-made plans”! I know God didn’t cause the power to be off – and, for the most part, I had a sense of peace as I was fully aware that HE was in control of all time - any “ranting and raving” and “discouragement” would be for naught!
So, I prayed a lot and I settled into Him, rebuked the devil, and did my best to live out Philippians 4:8...
I remember telling someone on Christmas Eve morning that I had just had a little “hissy fit” – ever have one of those? I just couldn’t believe the power had gone off - AGAIN! that the house would get cold ‘til we hooked up the generator – again! (we’d already unhooked it from both the shop and the house); and who knew if we’d be able to have a “hot” lunch rather than a sandwich! I soon told the old devil to “take a hike” – he wasn’t having me or this day! I settled in to selling turkeys in the shop, a sandwich for lunch, and had a good day! As it turned out, the power was off for most of the day! - coming on around 4 p.m.
Eventually, we settled in to the evening ... both of us exhausted – and went to bed at 9 p.m.
Around 10 p.m. the power flickered, the wind was blowing hard, the smoke detectors were beeping, and Benson started to bark!
I got up and let him out of his “room” (kennel) – and, as usual, he headed for the patio door to go out and do his duty! He didn’t come back quickly, so I put on my raincoat and went
outside to look for him - I couldn’t find him. I returned inside, went to the back door,
was calling for him when a van slowly drove by, turned around, and stopped by our driveway.
A lady got out, and in her arms she was carrying “my boy”...
she was crying and so was I ...
he had run into the road and she had hit him!
I believe he must have been disoriented and run towards the road instead of towards the house ... He was gone!
I can’t describe the pain that hit my heart! I tried to tell her not to worry – it wasn’t her fault!
And all I could think was, “Oh No! He’s gone! What’ll I do without him?” Hubby was still asleep – oblivious to anything that had happened! I hollered for him and he came to my rescue, taking Benson out of the house.
I cried and cried and cried. It was difficult to return to bed, knowing that he would not be there in the morning.
How quickly life can change for us!
Not only had we had to deal with the power issues; water issues; turkey issues; now we had to deal with the loss of a “part of our family”!
I wish I knew who the gal was in the van... I think I would recognize her again - I hope I will!
I pray that God will allow me to see her again! I want to thank her for not leaving Benson in the road; for trying to find his owners; for her tears of sympathy with me.
As simple as this is – I KNOW it is God’s grace... Caring about her; wanting to make her feel better about what occurred; wanting to ease her pain.
God’s Grace!
I am so grateful that in my pain I am able to think of others;
I do not say that boastfully - Praise be to our marvellous God – who fills me with His love and His grace.
Yes – I have lost what some call “man’s best friend” – I recall a time when I didn’t understand the love one has for a dog! But I do now...
My capacity to ‘LOVE’ has increased 100-fold over the past few years... Not because of Benson – Because of GOD!
HALLELUJAH!!!
To love the unlovely; to love without wanting anything in return; to want people to know God’s love for them! All because of His GRACE!
Thank You, Lord,
For Your grace – Your favor – to the undeserving! To me!
Thank You, Father, For giving the one resting in You the capacity to love as You love;
To see others thru Your eyes.
Dear friends,
I do not write this to get sympathy from anyone...
I write this, hoping that someone who reads it will want to experience His Grace in a deeper way than ever before –
Maybe because they never have experienced it before; or maybe because they have limited God in their life and they want the limits to be gone! Maybe they are tired of “being in control” of everything and it’s time to let go, and to let God have His way in their life! I don’t know the reason for sure, but HE does!
Whatever the case, please KNOW that HE is just waiting to shower you with His Grace – His Favor! His Love!
Dear loved one,
Please let Him touch your life with His Hand of Grace!
You will never be the same!
With much love,
Ruthie
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