The Day our Dog Died as We Soared Like Eagles

Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:31)

I have blogged about birds’ wings before, but this week in my my son’s devotional I learned how eagles use their wings (Storm Chasers, #112) .

Eagles possess an inner awareness that alerts them to coming storms. It’s just the way God has made them. So when they sense an approaching changes in the weather, they fly to a high point, settle themselves into position, and then somehow lock their wings. This way, the wind and turbulence–rather than blowing them around–actually provide lift to their flight. The storm still rages below, but they’re able to soar high over the top of it.

On Thursday morning of this week, my husband and I were still laying in bed trying to summon the gumption to get out of bed. Our son came in and plopped in an easy chair in the corner of our bedroom. We were all being slow risers that morning, unusual for us early birds (no pun intended).

None of us were ready to face the day.

I just started praying aloud on behalf of us all. My prayer was one of thanks and decision that went something like this: Lord, thanks for this day. Thank you in advance that you will give us the grace we need to handle whatever we will face today. We look forward to that provision. Holy Spirit, fill each of us with Yourself and be who people interact with today. Let us all get out of bed with confidence in You. Amen.

I can’t remember ever praying my family out of bed like that before. 

We rarely climb out of bed on the same schedule. My morning prayer times are usually private and take place before the sun comes up. I just felt prompted to pray like this for all of us this past Thursday.

I had fixed my wings.

We have two dogs, a big dog and a little dog. Big dog had not felt well the previous day so my husband had plans to run him to the vet before 8:00 a.m. Per the plan, my son put both dogs out for their morning bathroom and water break.

It was 7:30 a.m.

On the way back into the kitchen, big dog collapsed, unable to walk. We bundled him in a blanket and carried him to the car. The front desk associate at the vet’s office said they would have technicians draw blood and have results ready for the vet’s arrival at 8:30.

We got a call back before 8:30.

Our dog was dying from a grapefruit-sized tumor on his spleen that had burst. He was bleeding internally and uncontrollably. They were administering saline solution to keep him alive until we could get there to say our good-byes.

No one knew he was critically ill until that moment .

We gathered in a back room in private. We wept. We hugged our pet. We expressed our gratitude for what a good pet he has been. The doctor came in. A quiet passing ensued.

I was driving to work by 10:00 a.m.

Are you kidding me? Stunned. Unbelievable.

I did the quick mental check. I had a lint brush in my office to get the white dog hairs off my black pants. I looked well enough to teach with no make-up on…now washed off by my good-bye sobbing.

But we had done it. Our family had rallied. We had changed our plans, picked our boy up at school, face-timed one daughter, exchanged texts and a good-bye photo with another. We also had eyes to see God’s provision in the suffering. We were grateful my husband was home at that time, very unusual. (He and my son picked the dog out.) We also had a chance to say good-bye to our dog instead of finding him later.

How kind of God.

Then I remembered how I had fixed my wings. I had literally done so before my feet hit the floor that morning. God had given me the inner awareness I needed to prepare for what was coming. And did my prayers help my husband and son fix their wings too?

How kind of God yet again.

It was the day of the eagle and the dog.

It was a day of rising above the storm.

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Picture Explanation: Our live-in teddy bear will be missed.