Puppies Are The Best!

Fourteen years ago when I had my last puppy I was also 14 years younger! Wow. My new puppy, Sophie is quite the challenge. I honestly had forgotten all the mischief a puppy gets into. After I had taken Sophie outside in the freezing cold first thing in the morning, I came in to make coffee. I use a percolator which has a cord attached to it. I rinsed it out and filled it with fresh water and set it on the counter. I turned around to grind the coffee beans and was startled to hear the loud crash behind me. My coffee pot, full of water, was now on the floor. Sophie had grabbed the cord hanging down from the counter, and pulled. I grabbed some towels to mop up the water while Sophie raced down the hall to the pantry and began pulling packages of noodles out. It was only 6:15 a.m.

My 14 year old lab, Penny is not impressed with Sophie and her antics. She is surprisingly tolerant but numerous times during the day I put Sophie in another room to give Penny a break.

I am still in shock that I have a real live puppy! For the past two years my kids have been asking if we could get a puppy and the firm answer was always a resounding no. We weren’t getting one until Penny was gone. I was just thinking today how God always does the unexpected no matter how frail our faith might be. I have been praying for more than a year that the Lord would somehow help me prepare for the loss of my dog that I knew was inevitable. I wondered how I would ever recover from the loss of my dear companion. I still wonder, but the Lord has softened the blow by giving me this puppy now, before Penny is gone.

I began to realize that the Lord heard my very first prayer concerning this situation and I believe the answer was on its way! I couldn’t see behind the scenes at what God was orchestrating but He in His great wisdom and mercy was answering my pleading prayer. He knows the anguish and my day to day trials with my ailing dog. My husband was opposed to getting a puppy and yet he is the one the Lord used to make it happen. She has brought a spark to Penny and definitely brought much joy and energy to our home.

The puppy days will pass quickly and we are constantly reminded that she has already doubled in size and these hectic days will come to an end. I’m learning to time my activities to her schedule. We have 2 gates in the house now to prevent further destruction! She gets into absolutely everything, even my dishwasher. She races through the house with laundry I just folded. I have learned that I need much patience with this puppy and endless stamina. I’m looking ahead to many wonderful times with this new dog at my side but will always be grateful for my dear friend who has very limited days left with me.

No matter how bleak and depressing a situation appears, I know that my God is mindful of every tear and every heartache and He is making provision for us. His mercies are truly new every morning. He hears our every prayer, every single one.