"Changes...."

This post has nothing to do with knitting, crocheting or anything remotely close to yarn actually.  If you want to skip past this post and join me on another yarny kinda day, I'm totally ok with that.  But for now I need to talk a short bit about my Lady-girl...
 

My cavalier-cocker spaniel, Lady left us on Saturday.  I had posted earlier about her congestive heart problems back in November but I never thought the time would go so fast between finding out her "cold" wasn't really a cold until this past Saturday when she slipped away while I held her close.  Hold on... I need to grab a tissue....

OK, I'm back...

Lady was so much more than just a dog to our family...she was actually the beginning of a wonderful and awesome change almost ten years ago. When we (kids, myself) finally convinced my husband to let us "look" at a puppy we were amazed.  He's not a dog lover by any stretch.  Crazy but true, he was the one who saw her at the pet shop and the minute she was out of her cage to "meet" us she went potty all over...that never changed for ten years.  So Lady came to live with us in our house and our hearts.  I remember she chewed up the corner of my husbands large big screen tv, would nip at our noses with her puppy teeth and go crazy when I got the vacumn out (that never changed either). Good things started to happen...our family started to change.  Love started to grow as God used her in such a big way.  You see, we were a lost family getting by with little time for each other and not a whole lot of fun and laughter....until Lady moved in.  Suddenly we were playing with her, taking long walks and laughing over her silly antics.

I became a Christian about a year later, shortly followed by my husband and kids.  Yes, God was at work and he started with a little puppy..

I could write a really long dog book but I think Jennifer Aniston already made the movie...(Marley & Me for those who might be wondering.... ?!).  Lady was precocious, curious, obedient and such a sweet spirited dog.  Tricia and I have spent years calling her silly little names, carrying her around like a toddler on our hip and making her "stay" for a treat a billion times.  Lady never cared...she only loved us more I think.  She will always be the furry glue that bonds my daughter and I together and to be honest...that is PRICELESS.  She was always at my feet for ten years....gosh that can be annoying!  Really Lady do you need to be underfoot all the time!? I'll never forget that she's woken me up countless times wanting to go share a midnight snack......Really Lady, now in the middle of the night you want to eat?!  We did...it was our little time together.

 Fast forward to Saturday....we came home from church to find Lady very still by the back door (ummmm...Lady was rarely still when I walked in because I usually was the bearer of a doggie treat and a hug).  She was slipping away but her eyes told me "Mama, I hung on until you got here"...yes, she hung on while I held her close.  I kissed her furry head and assured her she was my sweet Ladygirl and it was ok to go on to her next adventure.  "God, please take her...right now, please".  Within seconds of saying that prayer, Lady simply stopped breathing and moved on to whatever it was God had for her. 

My heart aches...if you have ever loved a pet you know the feeling.  No clickety click of their toenails on the floor, no little face happy to see you when you open the front door...but I am so thankful that such a sweet little dog was the start of something so big in my family.  We walk a different kind of path now...one focused on Christ as we are His hands and feet...and it really did start with a little mixed breed puppy that God used for His glory and His wonderful purpose...she helped  grow a family back together...and ultimately changed our hearts to reach for Him...

              Carol