“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13b
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:17
Last night we lost our beloved Bailey.
We had the gift, the blessing of Bailey in our lives for fifteen incredible years. There wasn’t a mean bone in her body…just love. She loved us so much. And we loved her.
Last night, as I tried to offer comforted to my boys, I told them that Bailey had gone on to wait for us in heaven. And, I reminded them that our sorrow was a direct reflection of how much love we had for her and her for us.
Loss, the pain of losing something you love and care about is a part of our human experience. We are made in God’s image. We are made to love truly and deeply. And yet the depth of our love for our family, our friends, our pets, is only a glimpse of the powerful, overwhelming love God has for each of us.
God has blessed us with so many types of love, not the least of which is the complete and unconditional love of a beloved pet. If everything in our lives is designed to show us the face of God, then the unbridled joy of your pet when you come home is but a glimpse of the joy waiting for us in heaven one day.
Last night as I struggled to fall asleep a part of me just keep saying that it was too hard; that the pain was too much and it would be better, easier to just insulate myself, to have never loved. But I know that voice is a liar. Never would I give up the joy, and the laughter, and the love that Bailey brought to our family to avoid this heartbreak. And if everything in our life is designed to show us the face of God, and God loves us so much, can you imagine the tears that are shed in heaven when one of us is lost? If I cry for the pain and sorrow that fills the hearts of my children today, I do so knowing that God is mourning with us.
My heart breaks for those people who, knowing pain, listen to that voice. Those people who put their heart in a box and allow it to wither and die. This pain, as deeply as it cuts is temporary. God made our hearts to love and to break and to heal. In time our pain dull and we will be left with memories of love and laughter and wet noses and stinky farts and tails that wagged so hard and loved so much it left bruises.
We were so blessed. Bailey had fifteen amazing years. She was good right up until the end, and then she wasn’t. We didn’t have to spend days or weeks debating about doing the right thing for her. The boys had time to say good bye. We held her and loved her right up until the end. Last night, today, I feel God’s love and care for my family, for my boys, for our Bailey. So yes, this loss was a blessing.
God bless,
Meredith
finchmeredith1 