The Last Time
It is amazing how attached we can become to our fur babies (dogs, cats, raccoons). I have had pets in the past, but none as loving as my dog, Tess, a little West Highland Terrier. She went with me everywhere. She had to sit in my lap while I was driving, looking out the side window or over the steering wheel. She was very curious about things and was always snooping around.
Tess lived until she was 15 years old. As I was relaxing one evening, I noticed she was having trouble standing up. She was wobbly. She scared me enough that I loaded her into the car and took her to the vet. After an examination and X-rays, the vet sat down with me and gave me the bad news. She had a large growth on one of her kidneys. The option was surgery, which might give her six more months. It wasn't recommended. The other dreaded option was to humanely put her to sleep. I made the hard choice. The vet brought Tess into the room, placed her on my lap, and let me spend a last few moments with her. As she looked up at me, I told her we were going on another ride. As I gave her a few strokes, she slowly closed her eyes for the last time. Still today, it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
I have always wondered if I did the right thing. God has taught me that life is very precious. I have come to believe that all life is sacred. I pray to God occasionally and ask for forgiveness. I hold the burden of ending the life of an animal I loved very much. Questions have always remained. Did I do the right thing? Should I have had her treated? I guess God will tell me when I meet Him in Heaven.
When we face hard life decisions, it is a good thing to have God standing beside us. While He doesn't make our decisions any easier, He shares our struggles, our grief, our joys, and our sadness. God reminds me each day that Tess was the best thing that ever happened to me. She taught me unconditional love and trust that I would do the right thing. God loves us with unconditional love, and we can trust Him for that.
God Loves You.
Just a Thought, Not a Sermon.
Tess lived until she was 15 years old. As I was relaxing one evening, I noticed she was having trouble standing up. She was wobbly. She scared me enough that I loaded her into the car and took her to the vet. After an examination and X-rays, the vet sat down with me and gave me the bad news. She had a large growth on one of her kidneys. The option was surgery, which might give her six more months. It wasn't recommended. The other dreaded option was to humanely put her to sleep. I made the hard choice. The vet brought Tess into the room, placed her on my lap, and let me spend a last few moments with her. As she looked up at me, I told her we were going on another ride. As I gave her a few strokes, she slowly closed her eyes for the last time. Still today, it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
I have always wondered if I did the right thing. God has taught me that life is very precious. I have come to believe that all life is sacred. I pray to God occasionally and ask for forgiveness. I hold the burden of ending the life of an animal I loved very much. Questions have always remained. Did I do the right thing? Should I have had her treated? I guess God will tell me when I meet Him in Heaven.
When we face hard life decisions, it is a good thing to have God standing beside us. While He doesn't make our decisions any easier, He shares our struggles, our grief, our joys, and our sadness. God reminds me each day that Tess was the best thing that ever happened to me. She taught me unconditional love and trust that I would do the right thing. God loves us with unconditional love, and we can trust Him for that.
God Loves You.
Just a Thought, Not a Sermon.
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