Life Buckles

I love dragonflies, they have such a huge meaning to me. I collect them and even have a tattoo of one. Here's why. One my first dogs, Cody loved to chase them, running and jumping after them was comical to watch. I loved this part of his personality. He was a basset mix, long and low to the ground and sweet as pie..and boy did he love his momma, and I loved him. Cody was 3 years old when something changed, something switched in my sweet boy and he became aggressive towards other animals and humans alike. I tried everything, special "boot camp" training, meds and diet changes but nothing helped. He attacked the other dogs and he attacked my dad and I. The meds he was put on made him in to a zombie and he had to be separated from the pack to avoid confrontation...this was not quality of life. Shortly after his 4th birthday on July 3rd, 2009 I made the decision to release Cody from his earthly pain. It was the hardest decision I had ever had to make, he was my boy, my baby, but I couldn't see him suffer any longer. The consensus between the vet and others was that he had a brain tumor, which could be the explanation to the sudden change in his behavior. 

I was mad at God for a long time after. How could He have allowed this to happen.? Why did he not heal Cody? 

Years following my heart started to heal, I am the prodigal daughter. I returned to the One whom through all my trials, never left my side but stayed consistent in His love. Cody and I shared the part of his life that the Lord had written in my story, but unknowingly to me through all the pain and blame I imposed on myself, the Lord was using this to bring me back to Him. 

Through the buckles of life the Lord is the constant. If you look back at all the trials you have encountered in your life, can you see where He was in the mess of it all? Can you see that He had never left? Sometimes we are so blinded by our circumstances because we want to protect ourselves from pain that we forget to look down and see the Hand that holds us up and challenges us to embrace the buckles through life so that we will choose to embrace the Love, the Grace and the Forgiveness that He so freely gives.

Read: Acts 2:25-27