Yesterday I met with my dog trainer and I could tell something was seriously wrong from the expression on his face. He told me that he just had to put one of our champion bird dogs down. She was ten years old and he was working her with some younger dogs and as she was running along her shoulder suddenly broke.
Bird dogs work extremely hard and it’s tough on their bodies, and sometimes things like this just happen. I could see the pain in his eyes as he told of the loss of his friend. He works these dogs year around and he’d spent many an enjoyable day with her.
I know that feeling all too well. I had to put my beloved 14 year old lab, “Bear”, down due to bad arthritic, (painful) hips, and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I hope my current pup, “Coopie”, outlives me because I surely wouldn’t want to put him down. I really love that dog as I loved old Bear.
I had a girlfriend one time, (fiancé) that betrayed me. After spending a wonderful weekend of fun together, I had to return to my military base where I would stay until the next weekend. When I departed she tenderly told me she loved me, kissed me goodbye, and said she’d see me next week.
Practically before I was out of sight she promptly hopped into bed with five different guys and had sex with each one of them, one right after another, including my own brother. They partied hard the entire time I was gone, right up until the next weekend when I came back into town.
When I drove up, she and they acted like nothing had ever happened. She greeted me with a kiss, told me she loved me, and I spent the entire weekend partying with all of them; all the while not knowing anything about what had gone down behind my back while I was gone. I found out about it through a former roommate of mine who knew the details, and “just felt I should know”.
I’ve never gotten over that betrayal.
I’ve been betrayed time and again by friends and employees too. I’ve had trusted employees that stole everything they could get their hands on from me on multiple occasions. One had worked for me for seven years and was like a son to me and even had a key to my house. To my face he acted like he loved me like a father, but I found out later that he actually intensely disliked me and talked about me behind my back like I was a lowdown skunk. He very nearly destroyed my company, stealing approximately $900 thousand in current assets which almost drove me into bankruptcy. It took seven long miserable years to recover.
When I started making some money, it seemed that people began coming out of the woods, fields, towns, cities, creeks, parachuting and parasailing out of the sky, and emerging from the creeks, rivers, and oceans wanting to be my friend. It was as though suddenly I was the most popular guy on the planet.
Ugh! Sooner rather than later the true reason for their new found fondness for me would surface as I would get hit time and again for their often ingenious requests for money or whatever…
Recently I endured a withering personal attack from a “friend” who was tired and in a bad mood. My brother used to do that to me all of the time. He had the unique ability to make you love or hate being around him. He was good looking, intelligent, and had a keen wit that could keep you hysterically laughing and make no mistake he could be the life of the party. Or he could be dark, moody, brooding, and without a moment’s notice or hesitation tear into you like a pit bull saying things that would just destroy you for no other reason than he was in one of his moods.
Hmmm… I wonder if that is why God created dogs. They don’t betray you; they don’t steal from you; they don’t talk badly about you behind your back; they don’t hang out with you merely because you employ them, have money, or own a plantation resort; they don’t launch withering attacks against you. No, they merely wag their tails and greet you with pure love that knows no boundaries.
Maybe God gave us dogs like Coopie to cheer us up. Now that I think about it, He gave us something far more valuable than dogs. The Bible tells us that God is love and the purest expression of that love is Christ. Jesus was betrayed by someone He trusted and yet He willingly died a horrible death on the cross in order that we might live. He was put to death by the very people He came to save. They spit on Him, cursed Him, beat Him to a bloody pulp beyond recognition, nailed Him to a cross and horrifically crucified Him in front of His mother.
We pray to Him to deliver us, bless us, heal us, and cheer us up and then with the same mouth curse Him for any bad thing that happens even when it is a consequence of our own sin against Him.
And yet, Jesus looked down on the angry mob that was taunting Him and us today and softly and tenderly says, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.
I’m often tempted to withdraw from folks around me and just hang out with my little pup. I’m tired of getting betrayed, having people steal from me, and being the object of withering attacks; I’m sick of being lied to and about, and…well…I’m tired of being hurt.
Jesus told us to forgive those who wrong us and I try to do just that, but it isn’t easy. I think this might be the most difficult of all commands. Even when I forgive, I cannot seem to forget. Sometimes I think I’d rather just be alone by myself in the woods, or far out on the ocean.
Hmmm… I don’t think being alone can cure loneliness…
Anyone can face moments of loneliness–times when you long to be loved with pure love that knows no boundaries. Whether you’re married or single, surrounded by friends and family, or by yourself, these moments can lead to sadness and fear. But the Bible reminds readers that God knows us, loves us and that God hears our anguished cries and prayers. It also assures us that He is always with us. That is comforting to this old goat and I feel better now…
And if you’re hurting and/or depressed today like me – I hope you feel better now too.
Psalm 25:16
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Matthew 28: 20
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.