Things to Remember

A Faithful Friend

Prayer is the most precious gift we have to give and I give kudos to all who share this amazing gift to family; friends and even for those we consider 'enemies'. No human is so far away from goodness that God cannot reach them. No darkness is so great within a human being that even a little light goes a long way. 

When we pray, here, God works —there.  

Then, we are able to PRAISE and give GLORY to our LORD for His care, His kindness and for answering our prayers.

Monday, April 8, 2019, with my daughter, Deb, I took my little Chihuahua, Twink, to the local veterinarian clinic to gain their professional opinion on his quality of life. He'd had three seizures, the last one —a week ago —lasted almost five minutes when his body was cramping, twisting and turning and he had no breath or heartbeat. Since then, he had breathing attacks, every few hours, day and night; he was blind, deaf. The few days, when outside, he didn't know the way back to the door of my house, or if he arrived there, he couldn't tell if it was open or not. Of course, I'd carried him outside into my back yard before putting him down on the grass in a safe area. I'd been staying with him and watching him. He couldn't hear me say his voice and couldn't see me. When I clapped my hands, he heard, but couldn't discern where the sound came from. I knew he wouldn't be improving, not at 15 years old; 105+ in human years. Such an amazing age. All of his siblings died before they passed their sixth year, some at five years old.  

A memory from 2011 - maybe twice in a hundred years do we get snow in Inglewood here in New Zealand — I live in the North Island which only gets snow on high ranges and mountains. In the deep south of the South Island, snow often falls in winter, even down to the seashore. 

Twink wondered where all the yard had gone and stepped along very gingerly...

Before examining Twink, the vet suggested seizure medication, but after listening to his heart etc, she recommended it to be time he go to sleep.

Looking back today, one day later, it was a comfort and help for Deb to be there with me, and also for me to hold and cuddle my precious little chihuahua when he drew his last little breath. It was a great privilege. 

Sadly —sixteen years ago next month on 27 May —I sat, with my daughter, Deb, by my husband's hospital bedside when he had a very sudden and unexpected stroke that took his life. It was as though God reached his hands down from Heaven and pulled him upwards; he was gone so fast. God is so good because he didn't have to suffer a much longer death from his cancer. I miss him every day. 

Whether we gain much, or suffer loss; in sickness and in health; 

Whether the feijoa tree fruits or not;  (we have no feijoa fruits this year),

Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name.

Some of those reading this will have seen Twink over these fifteen years and I thank you for the love you showed him, even the jokes about my 'rat dog' — he always drew attention, I could never walk anywhere with him but people, mostly children, would want to talk to him and pet him. He just had to be told by me, "Be nice", and he was. 

After 15 years, he's going to be missed by me, every day, in many ways. 

An image I made from a photo of Twink wearing a cat-size Santa costume, superimposed on a painting by an artist friend who has also, sadly, passed on.

We buried Twink beside my daughter, Deb's dog, Oscar, in the garden of their home, a manse at  our church, close to the children's camping grounds we have there, not far up from the waterfall of the creek. 

This is my Christmas Poinsettia which I've just planted there.