Day 228 | Monday, 2 November 2020

Day 228 - Audio Version

Day 228 | Monday, 2 November 2020
The Church Mouse
 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility, value others above yourself.”  Philippians 2-3 (NIV)
 I have thought about this scripture often since March when we learned about COVID 19. It was always concerning others not wearing masks and concerning the thought that the pandemic was somehow a hoax. It made absolutely no sense to me, since I did not consider either a political message or a religious doctrine. I just considered it a necessary way to protect my fellow human beings from a scourge that visits us from time to time.
I often write about animals, especially those that have become members of our families. This scripture came to my mind again this past week when our daughter, Julie, texted to let us know that her beloved black and tan teacup chihuahua, Brutus, had passed. Her son, Bryan, had gone to support her while she helped Brutus to cross the Rainbow Bridge. She did the right thing, in humility, as she told the vet to end her little one’s suffering. She loved Brutus, so very much, but she put Brutus above herself.
Do you remember when I wrote about our wonderful greyhound, Jonah? As I grieved Brutus, I remembered the wonderful, amazing relationship they had. Here was Jonah: a tall gentle giant. Here was Brutus, a powerhouse to be sure, but the size of a wee small bundle. One thing that Brutus would do was to stand up on his hind legs behind Jonah, put his tiny paws on the back of Jonah’s legs and lick them. Jonah never seemed to mind,
I loved that little one so much as he jumped up on me and found his way inside my shirt. He would wiggle around, stick his head out and lick my nose. Each time Julie and her family got ready to return to West Virginia, they had to frisk me to find Brutus. I called Brutus “the Inca Lord.” I fully expect that if he looked in a mirror, he would see a Great Dane. After my prayer below, please find my favorite picture of Brutus. I hope it brings you joy.
 Loving Lord, thank you for always being with us, directing our hearts always to do what is right for our pets so that your hand can protect them, and bring about what is best for them. Amen
 

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