by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Last week was a very difficult week for Pilot and me. Have you ever had a week that makes you shake your head and say, “What a week”, and pray there aren’t many more like it on the horizon? Well. That was our week.

Monday, during a visit to the vet’s office, we were told Baxter, our 80 pound 9-month-old ball-chasing stick-loving puppy needed to be euthanized. The date was set for Saturday.

Wednesday the 60-year-old wife of a friend died following a three month battle with cancer.

Thursday, after tests showed no brain activity, the family of one of Pilot’s 38-year-old co-workers removed him from the life support he’d been on since Christmas day. He left behind a wife and two young children.

After we returned home from putting our sweet puppy down, Pilot received a call letting us know his oldest sister had been admitted to the hospital. Cancer. Surgery set for the next day.

All this happened days after the school shootings at Douglas High School in Florida on Valentine’s Day the previous week.

Like I said, what a week.

You know, life is hard. It hurts. It’s difficult. It’s painful.

I pray you haven’t had weeks like this, but I’m guessing you may have had weeks, months, years where you shake your head and say, “No more!”

We live in a fallen, imperfect world. None of us is immune from the pain of living in that imperfection.

While I cry for the losses, I pray and hold onto the hope we have in Jesus Christ. I hold onto the truth of God’s love for his creation, and in my mind that includes our pets. I hold onto the truth nothing reaches us God didn’t plan or permit.

Yes. God could have stopped these losses, but he chose not to.

I’ve talked to him about this. Yep. I have. And I believe he told me I don’t need any answers beyond the truths I already know. I need to trust he knows what he’s doing, even when in his sovereignty he allows something to happen I don’t want.

Maybe especially then.

Although we live in a fallen world full of disease and illness that causes us to shake our heads and say, “What a week”, we can rejoice in the fact there is a land without disease, sorrow, pain or suffering that is being prepared for those who love the Lord. And because of that, it’s gonna’ be okay.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119:49-50 (NIV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!