Mercy

She was a mutt.
She actually found her pet parents.
It had been just the two of them.
A dog made their family complete.

Mutts are best, she told me.
When they went to find a dog, the people at the shelter deemed them, older pet parents.
They hoped that the dog’s temperament would fit their lifestyle.
They had no idea how opposite their choice would be.

The dog found them.
She endeared herself to them.
They wanted a dog that would lay at their feet.
Instead, a hunting dog chose them.

A Llewellin English Setter found them.
She was an active dog.
She was an athletic dog.
They fell in love with her immediately.

They named her, Mercy.
It fit her.
Mercy and grace abounded when the dog found them.
Mercy went home to live with them.

How they loved Mercy.
How Mercy loved them.
How devoted they were to Mercy.
How devoted Mercy was to them.

Every day, he took long walks with Mercy.
Every day, they passed neighbors who would wave at the pair.
Every day, people they did not know, noticed the man and his dog.
It was comforting somehow, in a time that is not so comforting.

Even though miles and miles were completed on their walk, it was not enough for Mercy.
The athletic dog of the older pet parents needed more.
Their fenced in yard was perfect for Mercy.
She could chase a squirrel to her heart’s content, and chase them she did.

She loved her pet parents.
She would lay at their feet after a long day of activity.
That is the time the pet mom liked best.
Suffering from blood clots in her legs, Mercy’s stillness each night was a comfort.

By day, Mercy had high energy.
It was just what the pet dad needed for his long walks with her.
At night, Mercy rested.
She rested next to the pet mom she loved, almost knowing this quiet time defined them.

Something wasn’t right.
They knew it.
Mercy seemed to know it as well.
Mammary cancer was the dreaded diagnosis.

I remember reading the post that broke my heart.
Mercy, the athletic dog of the older pet parents, died.
No more long walks with him.
No more restful evenings with her.

They were heartbroken.
The neighbors knew that Mercy was gone and were sad.
The people they didn’t know noticed that one was missing on those long walks.
There was an empty place in their home and in their hearts.

Mercy was with them for eight years.
They adopted her.
Their home was to be Mercy’s forever home.
It was until the great enemy, Death, took her way.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Our Creator God made everything in the heavens and the earth.
After everything He made, God declared it, good.
Mercy was a gift.
Mercy was a good gift from God.

One day, God will restore all that is broken.
One day God will make right everything that has been undone.
J.R.R.Tolkien wrote, Is everything sad going to come untrue?
Yes, one day everything sad is going to come untrue.

In the meantime, in the now and not yet, we wait.
Faithful dogs die and we miss them.
Friends and loved ones are taken much too soon and we ask, Why?
Yet we know God is good and we trust Him, even when we don’t understand.

They are praying to find another dog.
They are hoping to be a forever home for a dog who needs them as much as they need her.
They know that the dog will find them, yet still they search and follow many leads.
As of this moment, they are still waiting.

The leash remains in the corner.
The place by her chair needs a companion.
I am praying for God to provide goodness and mercy to them.
I am praying for their cup to overflow.

Amen and Amen.

 

2 responses to “Mercy”

1. Oh Gina ! What a glorious surprise. I wanted to call but I wept through the entire story. I sobbed !you wrote it so well. What an amazing gift you gave us. I cannot thank you enough for this precious tale of Mercy. Your words lanced the deep wound of her loss. It was a healing balm. I don’t have words to thank you. Only God could have you give us this at this time. With much gratefulness overflowing. I thank God who put her in our lives for almost 9 years. You gave me a gift I shall never forget. With Love, Julie

   Reply

   • Julie,
     I am so delighted that you were blessed.
     I wanted to tell the story of Mercy well.
     Now, I pray and trust that God will bring the right dog to you.
     God does all things well.
     Gina

     Reply