Can One Love a Dog Too Much?

Shorty Danielle

In response to the above question, I think not.  This morning, I had a real scare.  Every morning, I get up and feed Shorty and Lovey and then invariably, they quickly return to their lush beds in our bedroom.  This morning was no different.  Later, I came out of the bathroom and went over to them both and petted them as they peacefully lay in their beds.  I walked into the kitchen and heard the jingle of Shorty's collar close behind.  When I turned around, she was limping horribly and her head kept leaning towards her hurt leg, the right front.  Because she's had two seizures in her past, I wondered if that was what was happening because of the way her head was bobbing.  Within seconds, several thoughts raced through my mind.  The worst one was that I was going to lose her today.  Oh Lord, please, help her.  Tell me what is wrong with her Lord, show me!  I scooped her up and held her over my shoulder and she began to frantically lick her wounded leg.  I thought maybe she had a sticker or splinter, so I felt it, but nothing sharp stuck out.  I sat her back down on the floor and she began to walk with that horrible limp.  I couldn't stand the thought of her being in pain, so I scooped her up again and began praying over her without ceasing.  In an instant, the Lord showed me that her leg had gone to sleep!  Of course!  It's tingling and feels so strange to her, the only thing she knows to do is to lick it!  I began running around the house to get her to follow me to wake her leg up and it worked!  Oh, praise the Lord!!!

Now, let me explain why I'm even writing about this.  Shorty turned 14 on August 28 of this year.  (That's 70 to you and me.)  Despite her hearing loss and cataracts, she is one of the most spry 14 year old dogs I've seen.  That's a good thing, because, God knows I desire deeply for her to live to be at least 25 years old.  Shorty has been with me through thick and thin.  She has stuck closer to me through some of my darkest days and some of the brightest.  The thought of losing her is almost unbearable for me and I realize that is probably not normal.  (I have never claimed to be normal, by the way.) 

Today, I am so thankful that her ailment was just a leg that went to sleep and that God showed me that so quickly.  I also realize that God knows when she will join Him in Heaven, but I'm praying that's not for many more years.  Many. 

So, I ask again:  Can one love a dog too much?  Never, I say.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

I Chronicles 16:34 NIV