Into the Fire

There are many people in this world who can't understand the attachment some of us have to an animal we love. They fail to realize it's personal. Unique. Special. A relationship. I pity them. I do, because loving an animal gives you a sense of responsibility for another's well being, for giving to them what they might not be able to give themselves, to be able to understand so much about one of God's creatures reminds us of how it was in the beginning. In the Garden. Before sin.

It makes us realize the fatality sin produced. The horror. The ugliness. The excruciating pain of disobedience to the One who was so benevolent, full of perfection and beauty, who is Love. Who knew what it would do to us when we said yes to the devil and no to God. Shame on us all.

The loss we experience when we lose a loved one who is human is almost unendurable. It crushes us. We wonder if we can continue. If they believed in the One who saves our souls, we rest in the forever, knowing one day we will join them. It soothes but doesn't eliminate the physical and emotional loneliness left to us on earth.

When we lose our beloved animals, we flounder under the pain of having counted on them to occupy our time, to be able to feed and water them, to groom them if necessary, to nurse small wounds, to comfort fear, to spend idle hours in tandem with them. We find ourselves ready to do the rituals performed daily and realize there is no more of that. No talking. No laughing at their expressions. No smiles when they aren't there to holler for their meals if we're late. It hurts.

The emptiness is real. There resides the pall of death. We don't dwell on it, but it ambushes us, leaving us with tear-stained faces, quiet sobs, hollow hearts. It's real. Over and over again until the intensity rescinds. The normality of the missing asserts itself and takes us into each new day.

So. We go on. Not easily. Not even willingly. But we do it.

Father, you were miraculous in all of this. Thank you so much for your provision. Thank you that I feel deeply. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.