"I Can't Believe How Much This Hurts"

My niece just today took her beloved pet cat “Smokey” to the Kansas Humane Society to have him put down following a long life and relationship with her and her family.  She did today what many people find themselves having to do…make “that” decision on behalf of a member of the family who cannot make that decision for itself, and for which death does not come naturally.

She Facebooked about her experience.  One of her posts is as follows:  “Gave Smokey some Benadryl, and hopefully that will relax him as we prepare to leave in about an hour. I can't believe how much this hurts.”

She then, awhile later, posted this:  “It took less than 5 minutes.  Smokey is no longer in pain, he is playing freely in heaven.”

I recalled myself when we had to make that decision.  I thought about others that I know who made that decision.  I thought about people who would say, “It’s only an animal.”  And I thought about the pain and grief that I have felt with the loss of a beloved pet.  I thought about how much it hurts…more than one would ever imagine.  I then wrote on her  timeline the following as a response.

"I can't believe how much this hurts." I can believe it. Your mother and dad can believe it. Those of us who have lost beloved pets grieve just as if we had lost a human family member. No, they aren't human, but they've been an integral part of our lives for however many years it was, and it hurts to have that relationship severed.
It hurts even more to know that death itself came about because the devil lied to Eve and she believed it rather than trusting God. We can be angry with Eve...we can be angry with God...but ultimately we must be totally bent at the devil who is the ultimate cause of death, decay, and destruction.
Yet we also know that God is at work even now through Jesus Christ to redeem the creation, and provide not only us, but (I believe) Smoky, Lydia, Susie, Dynamite, KoKo, and all the rest of what He created and called "Good" so long ago with life that is not sullied with the stench of death and decay.
May God Himself comfort you with the comfort of His peace and love.

The Small Things

On Monday evening, I had an appointment to keep at 7pm in the Wichita downtown area.  I left the house at about 6:30 pm.  As I accelerated on the on-ramp of eastbound Kellogg at Maize Road on that Monday evening, I looked ahead on the road as I approached Kellogg and saw directly in front of me, right over the roadway, a huge yellow circle hanging in the sky just above the road and just above the horizon.

It took me a minute or so to figure out what that thing was that was hanging there amidst all of the lights of the city, but I finally decided it was the full moon (actually, I think it was a day or so past full, but it sure looked full to me).  I merged into traffic, reluctant to take my eyes off of the sight of an apparently larger moon hovering near the horizon.  I continued to look at it until Kellogg changed directions slightly at Tyler and the moon moved over to the left and got lost in the maze of buildings and lights.

It has been awhile since I have been so mesmerized by the moon, or by any celestial body, for that matter.  The transit of Venus across the sun came a few years ago, and that was cool to watch.  Eclipses are always good to see, and there is occasionally a comet that is visible to the eye.  (There is one in the sky now that is supposed to get brighter over the next few weeks.)  The breakup of comet Shoemaker-Levy and the crashing of the pieces into Jupiter was one of the highlights of sky-viewing…that event was captured by the Galileo spacecraft and by the Hubble and other terrestrial telescopes and measuring devices.

Sometimes it is the small things…a full moon just having risen from the horizon…that set our minds to thinking and considering where we are and why we are here.  We begin to, if only for a moment, sense the presence of a Creator and Sustainer.  And we are thankful for the moment in time that all too quickly passes, never to come again.

Something to Remember

Chorus 26 in the oratorio “The Messiah” by G. F. Handel is called “All We Like Sheep.”  It is a light-hearted, upbeat musical score that repeats the words, “All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way.”  This is taken from Isaiah 53:6 in the Old Testament.  The song, written in F Major, evokes images of playful sheep in a pasture joyfully frolicking in the meadow, kicking up their heels on a warm spring day.  They have no concerns, nor are they cognizant of anything that may be amiss.

Then at the end of the chorus, the mood darkens considerably as the key changes to F Minor.  The tempo slows to a largo if not grave tempo, and the latter part of this verse is used as the lyrics.  “And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

This is the kind of music that, if you’ll let it, hits you right between the eyes and knocks you down for the count.  And if you understand that you and I are the sheep that Isaiah is talking about who go merrily on our way unconcerned for the iniquities (read that wickedness, evil, or sin) we are piling upon ourselves; and that God in his mercy has given all of those iniquities to His son to bear on our behalf, the verse suddenly becomes larger than life.

This holiday season, as we pass the cranberry salad, carve the ham, and pile on the sweet potatoes, let us take a moment to recall this verse out of Isaiah and acknowledge and thank the One who has taken our burden of wickedness from us and placed it on His only Son.

This Week

Well, I’m sitting here needing to write in my “secular” blog, but not sure where to start.  The most recent news is that my elderly uncle who is in a nursing home and has dementia now has fallen and broken a hip.  He’s in surgery today and whatever happens, the outcome will not be good.  I’ve seen too many of these cases in the past to think otherwise.  We’re trying to get more information from my cousin (his daughter), but don’t have much more than that right now.

My wife and I have just recently pretty much recovered from three or four weeks of hacking, coughing, and blowing.  Although not anything life-threatening (at least for now), it has been an unpleasant time for us and we are glad it’s coming to an end.  Hopefully, this won’t be a harbinger of things to come this winter.

We had a great time in Branson last weekend.  The fall colors were vibrant and we enjoyed the company of friends and the show we saw.  And we enjoyed time wandering in downtown Branson and being able to buy some things at some of the shops.  We are blessed.

Plans are being made for the annual Plank Thanksgiving celebration.  This year it will have to be on the Sunday following the holiday, due to work and other plans.  This is always a great time, and we are looking forward to hosting it this year.

There are many, many people who I know are hurting, hungry, and cold right now.  My being in a heated office and comfortable house doesn’t make it any easier for them, and puts me at some considerable unease at times.  There is so much misery, and seemingly so little help available.

On the other hand, God’s creation, although flawed by the handiwork of mankind, is still a wondrous place that fills me with joy.  I marvel at the orb spiders who spin webs, the birds who migrate thousands of miles, and the universe I see through telescopes.  It’s an incredible place, this creation.  And I’m glad I’m part of it.

Just finished a book called “Scarred Faith” by Josh Ross.  I think this is the only book (other than the Bible) that I will read more than one time.  Although I’ve just finished it, it’s still on my desk and I’ll begin again next week.  The book speaks to me in huge volume.

Grandkids, nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews are growing like weeds on both sides of the marriage.  It’s getting more difficult to keep up with the extended family.  One of these days, I will slip behind and never catch up again.  But that’s OK.  Hopefully, they’ll continue to catch Grandpa or Uncle Jay up on what’s going on and keep me in the loop.  Precious, precious family.

I have the privilege of officiating at the wedding of one of the grand nieces the end of this month.  I don’t do many weddings, and haven’t done one in awhile.  Thank you, Stephanie, for allowing me the honor of doing that.

That’s about it for this week.  God is good…all the time.

The Wisdom of Paying Attention

The day started out cool and cloudy.  Then a few spritzes of shower came through.  Now the sun is shining and things are warming up some.  There was just enough rain to clean off the leaves of the trees that are blossoming out in reds, yellows, and some browns.  The tomato vines are dead; but there are some green tomatoes on them that we can bring in and try to ripen.  Things have slowed considerably outdoors in the past couple of weeks, and the sun is setting ever more quickly and is delaying rising more each day.

Fall.  Autumn.  Whichever you call it, this season is full of conundrum and contrast.  The first part of the season is a flurry of ripening and production.  Tomatoes ripen at a fast pace.  Flowers start to go to seed (if they produce seeds).  Roses begin to bloom again.  Mums and other fall flowers begin to bloom.  Grass, it seems, takes off and grows…a lot.

Yet it is also the beginning of shut-down.  Leaves on trees begin to ever so slightly droop and change color at the edges.  Vines don’t spread much.  Plants that have already produced their fruit begin to look ragged and haggard.  It’s noticeably cooler now than it was just a couple of weeks ago.

It doesn’t take long to make the change.  A few cooler nights and a couple of frosts enhance any changes already in the making.  Even people who appreciate the colors and cooler temperatures are beginning to think about hunkering down for the long winter ahead.  Many of us begin, perhaps unconsciously, to bring on extra provisions.  We fill the freezer and canning jars.  We break out the sweaters and jackets.  We start wearing extra layers.  We check on things like hats and gloves, boots and shovels, de-icer and winter tires.

And so it goes (to borrow a phrase).  We can’t change anything about the onrush of fall and winter.  Oh, we may move to Florida for the winter, but we can’t change anything either here or there having to do with the weather or the environment.

I don’t know how many more times I’ll prepare for winter.  I do know that I’ve already prepared for winter many more times than I have yet to go.  But I also know that the One who created autumn, winter, the change of seasons, and all that go with it is the true Unchanging One…that however many more I have to prepare for, He will be there with me encouraging, strengthening, leading.  I’d be wise to pay attention to Him.

Whatever Happens

It’s a cold, wet, dreary day in Wichita today.  The temperature is 44 degrees.  The rain has started.  The clouds have thickened.  It’s one of those days when you’re glad you’re inside, the furnace works, and you have some hot chocolate mix in the pantry left over from last year.

These kinds of days are needed from time to time if for no other reason than to remind us of the glory of the sun and its warming rays.  This truly is one of those things where we have to experience what it’s like to NOT have something in order to appreciate it more when we DO have it.

These kinds of days also tend to change the attitudes of people.  I know that I tend to become more contemplative and yet more restless.  I sometimes wonder if the gloom of the outdoors somehow comes upon me in a personal way as I sort of wander, sometimes rather aimlessly, through the day.

I really think that there is something to the winter blues and the effect that daylight has on people.  I like to turn on the lights in the house and open the windows to let in as much light as possible.  I don’t like dark areas or shadowy parts of the house.  And I like to have plenty of light where I work.

It’s days like today that force me to smile when I’d rather not; that compel me to be cheerful when I’d rather complain; to talk with someone when I’d rather sit in the corner.  God’s blessings continue to come whether it’s raining or sunny; whether there’s a foot of snow on the ground or the roses are blooming.  It seems the least I can do is be grateful for His provision and care.

They say it will be in the mid 60’s tomorrow.  And that it will continue to warm up for a day or two before coming back into the 50’s later next week.  That’s the normal course of things for October.  Spring in reverse.  So we enjoy the days of sun and pleasant breeze.  And we work to do more than just tolerate the days of rain and wind.

The saving grace in all of this, for those of us who like long days and lots of light is that the shortest day of the year is a mere two months or so away; then the days again become ever so gradually longer and longer.  I’m counting down the days.  I’m already looking forward to spring.  And I know that whatever happens, God is there.

By Today's Standards...

We bought our first real PC in about 1990.  It was a pretty much up to date machine with an 80286 processor, 40mb hard drive, 5 ¼ floppy drive, 3 ½ floppy drive, and 24 pin printer.  It had 1mb RAM and we early on bought a math co-processor for the motherboard.

The machine was loaded with a program that had a word processor, data base, and spreadsheet (Not Microsoft Office).  It also had a few other bells and whistles, and generally was a good machine on which to learn how a computer worked and get used to MS-DOS instructions.

We paid handsomely for the machine.  It seems to me like we paid about $2,000 for the machine all together.  At the time, it was the best thing since sliced bread, and we’ve never been without some kind of computing machine since then.

By today’s standards, however, a 286 computer with a 5 ¼ floppy is very quaint.  It’s old, slow, cumbersome, has no Internet capability, has a monochrome monitor, and no CD/DVD drive.  It will not know what to do with Windows software, and couldn’t handle Office or any of the other software of today (with the possible exception of  Solitaire).

I have to wonder if some of us have become, in many ways, like the 286 computer in the modern age.  We have our traditions, ideas, and dogmas.  We cling to the times when we were growing up as the “best of times.”  We wish we could go back to those times and often rue the day when something happened in our lives that changed everything.

No, things aren’t perfect today by any stretch of the imagination.  But we have, by the grace of God, made some substantial improvements.  We have integrated bathrooms and eateries.  We have effective treatments for strokes and heart attacks.  We’ve conquered smallpox and have substantially reduced the chances of contracting other illnesses.  The world no longer has an Iron Curtain.  Africa is no longer the “dark continent.”

And we’ve progressed in other, less tangible ways.  Our understanding of how the universe works has gotten more precise, even though there is much yet to learn.  Christians have effectively used mass media to spread the message of Jesus Christ.  And we’ve grown in how we understand and relate to others (if we’d only use what we now know).

I have no desire to go back to 1956, 1990, or any other year past.  I like it where I am, right now, in this place at this time.  The 286 computer has no place on my desk, or in my mind other than a memory.  Those who continually desire to live in the past do themselves and those they interact with a great disservice, and are usually not very pleasant to be around.  It’s one thing to reminisce; it’s quite another to live in that era.