Thursday, March 06, 2008

Difficult Days

We all have them. Days that seem to have one trouble after another. It is a reminder that we live in a sin-cursed world, and that this world is not our home. We don't want to get too comfortable here, because we are just sojourners, on our way to our true home...the one that really matters.

Yesterday our old dog, Fatty, began having seizures. He was lying on the floor, stretched out, neck extended, and his legs were "running". About two minutes later, he stopped seizing. He began to look about, but was obviously disoriented and very upset. He wanted to be comforted, and he pressed himself against his people, I think just to know he wasn't alone.

He had another couple of seizures this morning. I called the vet and made arrangements to get him put to sleep. After all, he's an old dog, and any kind of investigation would be very costly. It doesn't make much sense to invest hundreds of dollars into the old guy, especially with an engine to pay for.

Rick, too, was feeling rather poorly yesterday. He just felt "blah", he said. He looked gray. Couldn't eat. Felt an odd feeling in his chest. I finally asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital, and he agreed.

The doc, after running tests, said that his heart was fine. However, his blood sugar is highish...enough to be a concern. "Go see your family doctor," he urged.

So, this morning I made two appointments. One for Fatty to be put down at the vet; the other for Rick to get his blood sugar re-tested.

All the kids were upset. Tiana was tearful about the dog. "Maybe he'll be alright," she hoped. But I told her that Fatty would likely not get better. She said, "Poor Fatty and Poor Daddy...both of them have to go and get put down."

"What?!!?" I asked her, shocked that she would say that.

"I'm just kidding," she said. She had a lopsided grin on her face. I was thankful that my little girl could find some humour on a very trying day.

Rick went to bed and slept the morning away. The kids went off to piano lessons. When they got home, they went outside to play for a while, then Tiana came to the door. "Mom! Fatty's fine! He's playing! I don't think we have to take him for his appointment."

I looked at our old dog in disbelief. He was running with the other dogs and the children, jumping through the snow, tail wagging. He seemed to have most of his balance back, although we can see a little imbalance once in a while.

So I phoned the vet and cancelled. I woke Rick up and took him to the doctor. More bloodtests were done, and we go back for the results next week.

I don't know what the future holds. Fatty could die tonight. Rick could end up with diabetes. We just do not know what lies ahead.

But as I chatted with my 11 year old daughter, I realized that it's all okay. God has a plan for all these trials. Tiana told me that she prayed last night for Fatty and for Daddy. She told me that she believed that God heard and answered her prayers. She also said that she knows that God could still say no... that Fatty could get sick and die; or that Daddy could get sick, too. But she also knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is good, and that He would never allow anything to happen that wasn't in His plan.

What a blessing it is for me to know that God has heard MY prayers. My children are growing in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord. They have gone through many trials this past few months, but have not reacted in bitterness or anger or resentment. They have grown in faith.

And for that, I praise and glorify our Beautiful God.


'As Charles Spurgeon once said, "There are two great certainties about things that shall come to pass-- one is that God knows, and the other is that we do not know." It is true that we do not know all the truth about the future, but we do know the truth. It is the truth that abides within us, the truth that sanctifies us, the truth that makes us free, the truth that ensures our future. And although we don't know the future, we know the One who sovereignly holds the future.' ~ Burk Parsons

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