Paws for Coffee Hour

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome back to our Paws for Coffee Hour, a series which will hopefully touch every emotion…with the beauty of love, the kind of love every soul should experience…unconditional love. And there’s laughter, too, such pure, uninhibited laughter that comes from an honest place within each of us. Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith, and let’s go talk more about the love of our four-legged child(ren).

So it seems that there are a lot of posts on Facebook from people who have lost their family pet, their companion, for some, their best friend. Oh, just thinking about losing mine rocks my heart in a way that is definitely frightening; it’s as if a piece of me will go when either of our four-legged babies finish living out their lives. Could it be that God uses pets to teach us how to love and play nice “’til’ death do us part”?

I’ve had my little Baraka Evinda since she was a baby and God has blessed me with her life in uncountable ways for almost twelve years now. Whenever I even think of losing her, saying good-bye to her, I shudder inwardly, literally shake my head not, and my shuddering moves to the outside…if my thoughts linger there. 

Oh, I can get so frustrated with her at times, and her step-brother who came to us when she was six. As a matter of fact, a month after getting Sparky, we began to worry that little Baraka wouldn’t accept him, love him, let alone play with him, so we prayed for that to change…and we waited two months and then, finally, relentless Sparky began to get a few paws in the face, a couple of chases around the house, and soon the house was filled with playful banter and happy barks. As mean as little Baraka Evinda has been to Sparky, Sparky has been oh so unconditional and has taught her how to play nice. He never, ever gave up on her, but waited for her to return his efforts to communicate love and playful bantering. Talk about two complete opposites!  And little Baraka-Evinda, well, guess she finally learned to apply Romans 12:18: As much as it depends on me/you, live peaceably with others…this goes for dogs, too, you know! :-)

So if you have lost a four-legged companion, a dog who knew and loved you, not matter what, of if you know of a friend who has lost such a love…this poem is for you.

Until Death Do Us Part…

There are two kinds of love – no, there are three

The love of people, pets, and the love of Jesus for you and me

Of course the most dependable is God’s love for it never dies

But second behind His love is the love from a pet that never lies

I think God uses pets to teach us how to feel

To experience the emotions of life, their love is so surreal

In some ways I think pets mirror the love of God and His Son

For the love from a pet is unconditional, no matter what we’ve done

There’s a sort of bond like no other that forms with our four-legged friend

A contentment just being with them that we wish would never end

Loyalty and faithfulness are the trademarks they leave behind

Taking a piece of our heart when they go, lingering forever in our mind

It’s funny how they become a very important part of our family

Drawing laughter from the inside out, enhancing any memory

I am dreading the pain that will come one day when I must say good-bye

To that faithful friend who saw me through so many seasons of my life

I can’t imagine what it will be like to have to live my life without that love

But now I know what it’s like to have experienced this gift from God above

So as the memories linger of saying good-bye to ____________ who loved you so

Cling to all the laughter and love experienced when you are feeling low

Thank God for the memories created, the love from your amazing friend

For you are richer having experienced the kind of love which had no end …

Crying with you and for you …

Love,

Evinda, Baraka-Evinda & Sparky