Monday, December 19, 2011

Saying Goodbye...

Today is a sad day.

Today we will have our cat, Buddy put to rest.

Buddy has been ill for awhile now. We don’t know much about Buddy’s past; we don’t even know for certain how old he is. We took him in as a stray about four and a half years ago. What we do know is that he has brought much happiness to us, and we love him.

Yes, it’s a sad day.

We can’t have one without the other though, can we? We can’t enjoy the pleasure our pets can bring, without experiencing the pain of loss.

As I sit here typing this, I pause often to wipe the tears from my eyes. My husband and I have been heartbroken all weekend, knowing that today would be the day to make the appointment. Yes, it is difficult to say goodbye.

But it is his time. We don’t want him to suffer any longer. It’s been a difficult decision to make, but…it has been made.

As I lay awake in bed this morning, fighting back the tears, I asked the Lord to continue to give me the strength of conviction to do what I know is right. I also had a moment of annoyance towards God for all the pain and death in the world; all the suffering and tears. But I quickly regressed, and remembered that what I am feeling is actually a good feeling. It doesn’t feel good right now…but it is good.

I have loved. Love is of God. God is love.

It is God’s will that I love; it is God’s will that we care for the animals on this earth. We were given dominion over them way back in Genesis.

We can feel good that we gave our little Buddy a home when he was in need of one. We gave him love and we have many wonderful memories and funny stories to share through the years to come.

So, while saying goodbye is going to be so tough today; it is a necessary part of life. It hurts, but it is only made possible through having loved.

What a blessing that is!

4 comments:

  1. Judi, I have been enjoying your posts. I like the way you write, what you write about and how you share your heart and truths about God. I will be praying for you today as you say good bye to Buddy.

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  2. Thank you so much Mary for your kind words of encouragement. Also, thank you for your prayers. Yes, it will be tough; but he is not doing well, so we believe it is the wisest decision.

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  3. Hi Judi....I am sooo very sorry u are goin thru this pain and sorrow....I KNOW what it is like to put a pet to sleep....it's hurts to the very core of your soul...but it has to be done. We have to think of the pet and the suffering it is going thru....My heart breaks for u....Love...Betty

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  4. Hi Betty ~
    Thank you for your kind words. It is comforting to know our kitty is no longer suffering.

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