Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Snow-covered Zac
I believe God works all things (even very bad things) together for good when we turn to Him.
I’ve witnessed that more times than I can count in my lifetime.
The past few days have been really rough. Three days ago my wee little pup Zacchaeus (Zac for short) chased a car and was killed. I always tried to grab him when a car pulled into the lane, but I didn’t see the car pull in.
I grieve the loss of my sweet silly Shihtzu. He was the sweetest, funniest dog I’ve had and I’ve had several dogs in my lifetime. Zac was also the smallest dog I’ve had. Shihtzus are lap dogs. He weighed 11 pounds. He loved cows and would often go grazing with them. The cows didn’t seem to mind his presence because he didn’t bark at them.
He was a dog who had a huge heart. He loved running in deep snow and I often had to go pull him out when he would leap into a snowdrift.
When I bought him he was a “discount dog” and I think that was because his back legs didn’t form properly. He ran like a rabbit but he was fast and funny.
I am grieving his loss. I miss holding him and having him lay on my lap. My older dog, a Schnoodle is upset as well. He keeps looking for Zac to come bounding by, but Zac isn’t there. He wouldn’t eat the first 24 hours. Poodles and Schnauzers are both great emotional support dogs and they seem to be able to feel what we feel. I grew up with a poodle and my first dog when I married was a Schnauzer. I grieve for my Schnoodle because he lost his sleep and play buddy.
Oh, God this hurts. Loss is part of life, but it’s awful. After Seminary, I studied grief. I am a certified grief counselor, but even though I know all the facts about grief it doesn’t help me while I am grieving. My youngest son majored in psychology in college and he has a M.A. in Psychology. He told me “Mom, don’t hold back your grief. When a wave comes, cry it out. That’s how we heal.” Even though I knew that, it was a good reminder. When a wave of grief starts to come and I want to shrug it off, I hear my sons words and I let it run its course.
It’s awful.
Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good.”
Today I don’t see how God can bring good out of the loss of my sweet pup. Today I long to see him run and jump on me. I long to hold him. I do not see any way...any way that God can bring good from the loss of my pup.
Death is real. It’s final.
My pup is not coming back.
But here’s the deal. I believe. I believe that somehow, someday, in numerous ways, God will bring good to me from the loss of my sweet Zac.
I don’t understand it, but I’ve seen it happen before and I believe in God. God is gracious even with small inconsequential things in our lives. God is all powerful. God is all knowing. God is abundant love. God is capable of doing “more than we can ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20).
I surrender my life and my pain to God. I believe in “all things good”.
I believe it’s real. I count on it.
In Jesus, Deborah
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